Quantitative and qualitative methods to survey hard-to-reach populations 1 |
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| Coordinator 1 | Dr Alessandra Gaia (University of Milano-Bicocca) |
| Coordinator 2 | Dr Daniele Zaccaria (University of Applied Sciences and Arts of Southern Switzerland (SUPSI)) |
Survey researchers often face the challenge to collect data on so called “hard-to-reach population” or “hard-to-survey” populations. These terms refer to population subgroups that are rare, marginal, hidden, elusive or excluded from mainstream society and thus hard-to-locate, sample, contact or interview. Examples include sex workers, illegal immigrants, victims of trafficking, drug users, displaced populations, homeless, institutionalised people, but also groups that – while not being excluded or marginalised – are rare and elusive (e.g. elites), hard-to-persuade to take part in surveys or hard-to-interview (for example due to lower cognitive abilities, like the oldest-old).
Exclusion of hard-to-reach population subgroups from data collection may lead to biased estimates on topics of relevance for social science research (e.g. poverty, inequalities, physical and mental health, social care, housing, migration, wellbeing, and social exclusion); ultimately, lack of information on hard-to-reach population subgroups lead to policy agendas which may not take into account the needs of the most vulnerable in society, and exacerbate social inequality and conflict.
However, meeting the need for high quality data is complex. To overcome this challenge, a number of quantitative and qualitative research methods have been developed, including: techniques to estimate the size of hard-to-reach populations (e.g. capture-recapture), sampling strategies (e.g. Respondent Driven Sampling), and data collection methods to ask questions about sensitive topics, including indirect questioning techniques (e.g. the Item Count Technique), adoption of proxy respondents, passive data collection through new technologies, participatory mapping, visual methods, etc.
We welcome submission on empirical or theoretical comparison of different research techniques, theoretical discussion of challenges faced by social researchers in surveying hard-to-reach populations and elaborations on the ethical principles guiding research on these population subgroups.