Collecting quantitative experimental data from a non-WEIRD population: challenges and practical recommendations from a field experiment in rural Sierra Leone

Abstract Objective Standardized pretest–posttest experimental designs with quantitative surveys are frequently applied to evaluate the effectiveness of health programs. However, this method is strongly informed by research on samples from Western, Educated, Industralized, Rich, and Democratic (WEIRD...

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Autores principales:	Hanna Luetke Lanfer, Doreen Reifegerste, Sorie Ibrahim Kargbo
Formato:	article
Lenguaje:	EN
Publicado:	BMC 2021
Materias:	Survey Methodology WEIRD Cross-cultural Sierra Leone Medicine R Biology (General) QH301-705.5 Science (General) Q1-390
Acceso en línea:	https://doaj.org/article/ffb3c853c4354eeeaa5598ddb4b11282
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spelling	oai:doaj.org-article:ffb3c853c4354eeeaa5598ddb4b112822021-11-21T12:28:00ZCollecting quantitative experimental data from a non-WEIRD population: challenges and practical recommendations from a field experiment in rural Sierra Leone10.1186/s13104-021-05828-w1756-0500https://doaj.org/article/ffb3c853c4354eeeaa5598ddb4b112822021-11-01T00:00:00Zhttps://doi.org/10.1186/s13104-021-05828-whttps://doaj.org/toc/1756-0500Abstract Objective Standardized pretest–posttest experimental designs with quantitative surveys are frequently applied to evaluate the effectiveness of health programs. However, this method is strongly informed by research on samples from Western, Educated, Industralized, Rich, and Democratic (WEIRD) societies and may not produce meaningful results in a distinct cultural, educational and socioeconomic context. Results This paper reports several methodological challenges encountered along the research process of collecting quantitative survey data (i.e., during recruitment, obtaining informed consent, matching pretest–posttest data and data collection) for a mixed-methods field experiment on domestic handwashing in Sierra Leone. Ethical dilemmas of certain research practices are pointed out and potential solutions or alternatives are recommended for each challenge. Analysis of these challenges highlights the importance of reflecting on the aptness of research methodologies for non-WEIRD samples. While this is not to say that quantitative surveys are not suitable in a non-WEIRD context, their employment require considerable time for extensive pilot testing, involving local interviewers and participants in designing research projects and the modification of data collection strategies.Hanna Luetke LanferDoreen ReifegersteSorie Ibrahim KargboBMCarticleSurveyMethodologyWEIRDCross-culturalSierra LeoneMedicineRBiology (General)QH301-705.5Science (General)Q1-390ENBMC Research Notes, Vol 14, Iss 1, Pp 1-6 (2021)
institution	DOAJ
collection	DOAJ
language	EN
topic	Survey Methodology WEIRD Cross-cultural Sierra Leone Medicine R Biology (General) QH301-705.5 Science (General) Q1-390
spellingShingle	Survey Methodology WEIRD Cross-cultural Sierra Leone Medicine R Biology (General) QH301-705.5 Science (General) Q1-390 Hanna Luetke Lanfer Doreen Reifegerste Sorie Ibrahim Kargbo Collecting quantitative experimental data from a non-WEIRD population: challenges and practical recommendations from a field experiment in rural Sierra Leone
description	Abstract Objective Standardized pretest–posttest experimental designs with quantitative surveys are frequently applied to evaluate the effectiveness of health programs. However, this method is strongly informed by research on samples from Western, Educated, Industralized, Rich, and Democratic (WEIRD) societies and may not produce meaningful results in a distinct cultural, educational and socioeconomic context. Results This paper reports several methodological challenges encountered along the research process of collecting quantitative survey data (i.e., during recruitment, obtaining informed consent, matching pretest–posttest data and data collection) for a mixed-methods field experiment on domestic handwashing in Sierra Leone. Ethical dilemmas of certain research practices are pointed out and potential solutions or alternatives are recommended for each challenge. Analysis of these challenges highlights the importance of reflecting on the aptness of research methodologies for non-WEIRD samples. While this is not to say that quantitative surveys are not suitable in a non-WEIRD context, their employment require considerable time for extensive pilot testing, involving local interviewers and participants in designing research projects and the modification of data collection strategies.
format	article
author	Hanna Luetke Lanfer Doreen Reifegerste Sorie Ibrahim Kargbo
author_facet	Hanna Luetke Lanfer Doreen Reifegerste Sorie Ibrahim Kargbo
author_sort	Hanna Luetke Lanfer
title	Collecting quantitative experimental data from a non-WEIRD population: challenges and practical recommendations from a field experiment in rural Sierra Leone
title_short	Collecting quantitative experimental data from a non-WEIRD population: challenges and practical recommendations from a field experiment in rural Sierra Leone
title_full	Collecting quantitative experimental data from a non-WEIRD population: challenges and practical recommendations from a field experiment in rural Sierra Leone
title_fullStr	Collecting quantitative experimental data from a non-WEIRD population: challenges and practical recommendations from a field experiment in rural Sierra Leone
title_full_unstemmed	Collecting quantitative experimental data from a non-WEIRD population: challenges and practical recommendations from a field experiment in rural Sierra Leone
title_sort	collecting quantitative experimental data from a non-weird population: challenges and practical recommendations from a field experiment in rural sierra leone
publisher	BMC
publishDate	2021
url	https://doaj.org/article/ffb3c853c4354eeeaa5598ddb4b11282
work_keys_str_mv	AT hannaluetkelanfer collectingquantitativeexperimentaldatafromanonweirdpopulationchallengesandpracticalrecommendationsfromafieldexperimentinruralsierraleone AT doreenreifegerste collectingquantitativeexperimentaldatafromanonweirdpopulationchallengesandpracticalrecommendationsfromafieldexperimentinruralsierraleone AT sorieibrahimkargbo collectingquantitativeexperimentaldatafromanonweirdpopulationchallengesandpracticalrecommendationsfromafieldexperimentinruralsierraleone
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Collecting quantitative experimental data from a non-WEIRD population: challenges and practical recommendations from a field experiment in rural Sierra Leone

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