The Limitations of Stranger-Interviewers in Rural Kenya

Abstract

Virtually all survey data are collected by “strangers,” that is, individuals with no prior social relationship with respondents. Although it has long been recognized that attitudes toward strangers vary cross-culturally, there has been no systematic discussion of how this variation might affect survey data. This article attempts such a discussion, using data from a longitudinal research study in rural Kenya. It reviews qualitative impressions of insider-and stranger-related issues within the specific Kenyan field setting, drawing primarily on field notes. Relevant areas of social theory and the data collection literature are reviewed briefly. Finally, using the project's longitudinal survey data, empirical tests are presented which allow for an evaluation of differential data quality across insider-and stranger-interviewers on three dimensions: differential response rates, differential reliability of responses, and differential response validity. The results suggest that insider-interviewers increase response rates and collect more consistent data across survey waves. They also suggest that data collected by female insiders in particular appear to be superior for most questions and of equal quality for others.

Measuring fertility through mobile‒phone based household surveys: Methods, data quality, and lessons learned from PMA2020 surveys

“…The survey project also aims data collection at a lower cost by working with female data collectors known as resident enumerators (REs) who live in or near the sampled enumeration areas with a minimum qualification of high school completion (Hawes et al 2017;Zimmerman, OlaOlorun, and Radloff 2015). Employing local REs is one of the most unique features of PMA2020, since most large-scale surveys collect data using 'stranger-interviewers' (Sana, Stecklov, and Weinreb 2016;Weinreb 2006), whereas electronic data collection with mobile technologies using phones or tablets has increased (Paudel et al 2013). Since its inception in 2013, over 40 surveys have been conducted in 11 countries.…”

The Effects of Questionnaire Translation on Demographic Data and Analysis

“…Consequently, we could expect higher reporting of sensitive behaviors-e.g., ever terminated a pregnancy, higher ranking of own chances of catching AIDS-in the non-standardized mode (the higher reporting of undesirable behaviors is typically interpreted as better reporting (Aquilino 1994;Becker et al 1995). On the other hand, results from the relatively small body of research on data collection methods in the African context are not always consistent with results in developed countries (e.g., Becker et al 1995;Mensch et al 2003;Weinreb 2006). Moreover, informal interviews conducted in the Malawian context suggest that interviewers sometimes feel protected by standardized questions, in particular when dealing with sensitive topics.…”

Heterophily in rural Malawi

“…This is not always the case in data collection projects in developing-country areas. On the contrary, there is considerable confusion about the exact function of many research questions (Stone and Campbell 1984;Weinreb 2006).…”