How to Get the Most Valid Data from Hard-to-Reach Populations

Miriam Boeri, David Gibson, Craig Rafuse, Ben Tyndall Kennesaw State University

Suburban Conference 2010Funding for this research was provided by the National Institute on Drug Abuse

1R21DA025298-01A1

University of Pennsylvania Arts and Sciences. 2009. “Next Door But Invisible: The World of Homelessness and Drug Addiction.” YouTube Web site. Retrieved April 23, 2010. (http://www.youtube.com/v/lT1PjDvL6cs).

Study

Maturing Out Theory

Study on Older Drug Users

© 2009 Focus 12 “Old Junkies” ad campaign http://www.focus12.co.uk/oldjunkies

Methods

Ethnographic fieldwork

Face to face interviews

Quality control

Keith Richards

Sample

100 older adults 45 and older in 2010

Sampling– Convenience – Snowball– Theoretical

IRB approved

Certificate of Confidentiality

Consent

2-5 hour interview

The Team

Miriam Boeri, PhD

Craig Rafuse

Ben TyndallDavid Gibson

© Bill Waterson

Recruiting Hard to Reach and Hidden Populations

Primary Recruitment - Researcher Initiated

Secondary Recruitment - Referral

Tertiary Recruitment - Passive

Networks

Family

Friends

Coworkers

Former Users

Gatekeepers

Individuals who grant access to a larger network of users

William S. Burroughs

1914-1997

Streets, Clubs, and Pubs

Gain acceptance of manager, owner, or promoter

TALK TO EVERYONE

Fliers

Must be IRB approved

Approval of the property owner or manager

Community Outreach, Ministries, and Harm Reduction Centers

Methadone Clinics

Atlanta Harm Reduction Center – “The Bluff”

Must Ministries – Marietta

Homeless Shelters

Needle Exchanges

Screening

How old are you?

How did you hear about the survey?

What is/was your drug of choice?

When was the last time you used a substance?

What year were you born?

“Fluff questions” or misdirecting questions

Gaining the Confidence of Respondents

Professional/academic association

Certificate of confidentiality

Secure storage of data

Street cred

Dress down

Alfonso Ribeiro as Carlton Banks. The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. © NBC Productions.

The Interview Process: Juggling Time, Energy and Research Goals

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High Energy ^ ^Time > > > > > > > > > Research goals ^ ^ Low Energy

What We Juggle

© R. Crumb

Tuning In

Cordial Atmosphere

Respectful Attitude and

Tone of Voice

Soliciting Their Consent

Putting Them in the

Driver’s Seat

Setting the Stage

Turning Points Matrix

Letting It Happen or Strict Guidance?

Use Confrontation Carefully

Not An Interrogation

The Qualitative Discussion

What, Why, Where, How and When

Cloning Years

Keeping Them Focused

Collaboration

The Quantitative Survey

Gift Exchange

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Management and Quality Control of the Data

Data management– Survey creation and revision– Technology

Quality control– Survey data– Interview recordings and transcripts

Original Survey

Long-form survey covered every year– Every year or missing data?– Cumbersome and time consuming

Shorter survey still needs to capture entire life

Started smoking

cigarettes

Started injecting heroin

Married

First child

Residential treatment

Relapse

Clean

Born 12 Step

Divorce

Yearly Survey

Advantages:New survey for every year

Skip forward and backward

Speed of survey tends to outweigh disadvantages

1968

1975

1987

1993

2009

Survey Development

Mandatory responses

Question revisions

Survey has some fluidity

Technology

Netbooks

Encrypted USB drives

Recorders

Quality Control - Survey

“Create Notes”

Some problems

Quality control

Review interviews

Quality Control - Survey

Export data to SPSS

Visualize drug/life history

Check for mistakes/inconsistencies

Quality Control - SurveyData triangulation

INTERVIEWER NOTES

RECORDINGSURVEY DATA

Quality Control - Transcription

Transcribers have a tough job

Interviewer listens to recording and follows along with transcript

Final Thoughts on Quality Control

Relive/re-experience interviews

Rigorous triangulation

Strengthens team skills

Protects our investment of time, energy and money in each interview

Conclusion

Targeted recruitment for different types of users

Finding a balance between quantitative and qualitative

Time, space, and emotions

Validity and reliability

Keeping it organized

QUESTIONS?