Work

The implications of long term community involvement for the production and circulation of population knowledge

Year: 2007

Type: article

Abstract: Demographic surveillance systems (DSS) depend on community acceptance and involvement to produce high quality longitudinal data. Ensuring community support also exposes power relations usually concealed in the research process. We discuss the Agincourt Health and Demographic Surveillance System in South Africa to argue that: 1) long-term presence and community involvement contribute to high response rates and data quality, 2) to maintain community support the project must demonstrate its usefulness, 3) reporting to community members provides valuable checks on the local relevance and comprehension of questions, and 4) community opinion can modify both wording and content of research questions.

Source: Demographic Research

DOI: 10.4054/demres.2007.17.13

Authors: Sangeetha Madhavan, Mark Collinson, Nicholas W. Townsend, Kathleen Kahn, Stephen Tollman

Institutions: University of the Witwatersrand, Maryland Population Research Center, University of Maryland, College Park, Agincourt Health and Socio-Demographic Surveillance System, Brown University

Language: English

Topic: Survey Methodology and Nonresponse

Subfield: Sociology and Political Science

Field: Social Sciences

Domain: Social Sciences

SDG: Good health and well-being

Open Access status: diamond

Funders: Brown University, Wellcome Trust, Medical Research Council