1 Introduction This method guide explores the practicalities and processes of using qualitative secondary analysis (QSA, hereafter) developed in an ESRC study on Ageing in Place. Although some commentary exists regarding the re-use of qualitative data, there are few practical guides on how to conduct QSA. To attend to this gap, we describe some of the ethical and epistemological issues involved in this approach as well as discussing how to ask new research questions with existing data. To conclude, we suggest some guiding principles for researchers interested in using QSA for future research projects. Key points • Qualitative data often remain under-used and there is the possibility of re-using them in order to explore new themes. • QSA offers many exciting possibilities to develop new empirical insights with existing data. • Researchers should also have a substantive reason for exploring previously collected data. • New research questions must be asked of the data which are sensitive to and shaped by the data. Background ‘Ageing in place’ is a popular term in social policy and refers to an approach which helps older people to remain in their own homes for as long as possible. Although largely driven by concerns over the cost of residential and nursing home care, this policy has been reinforced by academic research concerning the preferences of older people themselves. However, the benefts of this type of approach have yet to be systematically explored, with few studies focusing on the meaning of place for older people, and how this changes over time. Also, while public policy emphasises the benefts of ageing in place, the literature covering this topic remains sparse and there is little sociological research on what makes an age-friendly environment. The aim of the project is to advance empirical knowledge about ageing in place, using a QSA approach. Why use QSA? In the last ffteen years, the social sciences have seen a rapid increase in the drive towards reusing data, due to a range of reasons, including improvements to electronic infrastructure (Corti & Thompson 2004), methodological developments that have facilitated multiple interpretations of the same data (Holland et al. 2006) and funding bodies require that all data should be saved for re-use (Moore 2007). But while secondary data analysis of quantitative data has become commonplace and encouraged across disciplines, the practice of QSA has been met with criticism and concerns regarding potential methodological and ethical problems (Ruggiano & Perry 2017). Therefore, while QSA offers many exciting possibilities to develop new empirical insights with existing Researching Ageing in Place over Time: A guide to using Secondary Data Analysis Timescapes Archive Methods Guide Series 2021 Guide No.21 Camilla Lewis, Tine Buffel, Vanessa May and Ruth Webber SERIES EDITORS Kahryn Hughes and Anna Tarrant