Survey Protocols

Survey Protocols define how the survey will be implemented.

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Clear protocols ensure that fieldwork is carried out consistently across teams and/or regions, and are important for Research Transparency. All protocols should be tested in the Survey Pilot and final protocols recorded in the Enumerator Manual.

Guidelines

Respondent Selection

Who is the target respondent for the interview? If that individual is not available, is there an adequate substitute? For example, for an agricultural survey, the target respondent is the household member who is primarily responsible for making decisions about the household farm (typically the household head). If the target respondent is not available, and will not be available during the survey period, an acceptable alternate respondent is: an adult household member who is very familiar with the household farm.

Drop

Primary sampling units may have to be dropped, for example in case the sampled household has: moved out of the study area, does not consent to the interview, or is unreachable.

It is essential that field teams record which sampling units were dropped, and why. It is best practice to double-check this as part of a Survey Audit, and to watch for discrepancies across field teams with regards to frequency of drops.

Replacement

If a primary sampling unit is dropped, will it be replaced? This will depend on the sampling frame and type of survey. Typically, replacement is more common at baseline surveys and less common for follow-up (panel) surveys.

If replacements are to be made, generate a list of replacements using the same strategy as the original sample, and provide that to the field teams at the start of data collection.

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This article is part of the topic Preparing for Data Collection

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