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5 - A review of quality issues associated with studying hard-to-survey populations
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- By Lars Lyberg, Stockholm University, Mathew Stange, University of Nebraska–Lincoln, Janet Harkness, University of Nebraska–Lincoln, Peter Mohler, University of Mannheim, Beth-Ellen Pennell, University of Michigan, Lilli Japec, Statistics Sweden
- Edited by Roger Tourangeau, Brad Edwards, Timothy P. Johnson, University of Illinois, Chicago, Kirk M. Wolter, University of Chicago, Nancy Bates
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- Book:
- Hard-to-Survey Populations
- Published online:
- 05 September 2014
- Print publication:
- 28 August 2014, pp 82-108
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- Chapter
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Summary
Introduction
Some populations/groups are defined as hard to survey (H2S) in the research literature because of difficulty sampling the population, accessing the population, contacting members of the population, persuading them to participate, and interviewing group members (see Tourangeau, Chapter 1 in this volume). Reviewing the literature on populations referred to as “hard to survey” indicates the types of studies undertaken with these populations, the survey error challenges, and the methodological solutions used by researchers who study such populations. The H2S literature, however, does have limitations and research gaps exist.
The problems that complicate obtaining high-quality data from H2S populations are diverse and often interrelated. This review uses a quality assurance and quality control framework to discuss the total survey error associated with H2S studies. The discussion is based on an extensive systematic review of the quantitative and qualitative literature related to H2S, as well as our own experiences surveying these populations. (For a discussion and definition of kinds of H2S populations and the characteristics that earn them the H2S label, see Chapter 1 in this volume.)
12 - Surveying cultural and linguistic minorities
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- By Janet Harkness, University of Nebraska–Lincoln, Mathew Stange, University of Nebraska–Lincoln, Kristen L. Cibelli, University of Michigan, Peter Mohler, University of Mannheim, Beth-Ellen Pennell, University of Michigan
- Edited by Roger Tourangeau, Brad Edwards, Timothy P. Johnson, University of Illinois, Chicago, Kirk M. Wolter, University of Chicago, Nancy Bates
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- Book:
- Hard-to-Survey Populations
- Published online:
- 05 September 2014
- Print publication:
- 28 August 2014, pp 245-269
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- Chapter
- Export citation
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Summary
Introduction
Cultural and linguistic minorities can be hard to survey either as the target population of interest or as a subpopulation of a general population survey. The challenges associated with studying these minorities are important to understand in order to assess and address the survey error that can be introduced when designing and implementing studies that include these groups. This chapter begins with a description of what constitutes cultural and linguistic minorities, based on a systematic review of the literature (see Chapter 5 in this volume, for a complete description of the process). We note that the literature in this area is largely limited to research among cultural and linguistic minorities in the context of Western and industrialized countries. Therefore, we supplement this literature by drawing upon our own experience and discussions with colleagues who conduct research among cultural and linguistic minorities in other parts of the world. This review is followed by a discussion of the potential challenges faced by researchers interested in surveying cultural and linguistic minorities and approaches taken to address these challenges in the areas of sampling, questionnaire development, adaptation and translation, pretesting, and data collection. We then discuss additional approaches to studying these hard-to-survey populations including qualitative, mixed-methods, and community-based research methods and how these can complement survey methods. The concluding section addresses needed improvements in the documentation and development of research methods to expand solutions and increase the quality of hard-to-survey cultural and linguistic minority research.
Defining cultural and linguistic minorities
This section sets out the key features of cultural and linguistic minorities. Three core concepts are defined and discussed. First, we define minority populations followed by a discussion of linguistic and cultural minorities. The distinct concept of hard-to-survey is also relevant and discussed in this context (also see Chapter 1 in this volume). On the one hand, it is a relatively straightforward task to define these concepts; however, as we discuss below, applying these definitions in a survey context is far more complicated. Formal definitions serve as a good starting point for this discussion, however.