Not knowing the population size is a common problem in data-limited contexts. Drawing on work in Sierra Leone, this short take outlines a four-step solution to this problem: (1) estimate the population size using expert interviews; (2) verify estimates using interviews with participants sampled; (3) triangulate using secondary data; and (4)…

Leveraging ground-breaking work of Black feminist scholars alongside established techniques of focus group and community-based participatory research, we explain sister-girl talk as a novel method for collecting and analyzing group interview data with Black women. We outline the procedures for consultation, facilitation and preliminary analysis of…

This special issue's editors invited discussion of three broad questions. Slightly rephrased, they are: How well do self-report data represent theoretical constructs? How should analyses of data be conditioned by properties of self report data? In what ways do interpretations of self-report data shape interpretations of a study's findings? To…

Obtaining insights on the illicit consumption of endangered wildlife products is challenging, especially when the study objects are the super-rich. This research note draws upon my experience interviewing nearly 1,000 rhino horn consumers in Vietnam. Trust is crucial in such interactions. No interviews could have been conducted without good…

Multiple perspective interviews (MPIs) involve interviewing members of a social group separately and triangulating their accounts during analysis to gain insights into the functioning of such groups (e.g. families). So far, there has been little engagement with the specific challenges of MPI research during the analysis, particularly with…

Narrative interviews with young victims of crime can provide information regarding their unique situations and how the victimization has affected their lives. However, the method can be intrusive, and not all young people are able to safeguard their personal integrity. This research note offers reflections on the use of narrative interviews with…

Qualitative research has been strongly affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, highlighting the possibilities that Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) technologies such as Skype, WhatsApp, and Zoom offer to qualitative scholars. Based on the experience of using such technologies to collect qualitative data for our PhD studies, we present how we dealt…

The global COVID-19 pandemic has severely hit the lives of the people of Nepal. The country witnessed two phases of lockdown over 10 months from March 2020 until August 2021. I completed my PhD data collection in Nepal through February to April 2021, when the pandemic's risk was naturally lowered. My research explores local value systems of…

Writing researchers have long sought to make tacit writing knowledge explicit, rendering it available for learning and critique. We advance this endeavor by describing our use of the "tool-based interview" (TBI) as a variation of Odell, Goswami, and Herrington's influential discourse-based interview (DBI). Rather than the product-focused…

Thoroughly conceptualized and designed member checks can strengthen credibility in qualitative research. Member checks can help researchers increase accuracy of their findings, reflect on their topic, and create change. Although member checks are widely used, numerous researchers have argued that they are often underdeveloped in terms of design…

Researchers have become increasingly interested in better understanding the survey data collection process in interviewer-administered surveys. However, tools for analysing paradata capturing information about field processes, also called call record data, are still not yet fully explored. This paper introduces sequence analysis as a simple tool…

The PPIC Statewide Survey was inaugurated in 1998 to provide a way for Californians to express their views on important public policy issues. The survey provides timely, relevant, nonpartisan information on Californians' political, social, and economic opinions. It seeks to inform and improve state policymaking, raise awareness, and encourage…

Multiple data collection or research methods exist for evaluating library spaces. Faced with numerous choices and limited time for gathering data, it becomes challenging for information professionals to determine the best way to proceed with evaluating their libraries' physical spaces. There is a gap in the literature on best practices for…

Although educational researchers will acknowledge that they have a moral imperative to avoid harming their participants whilst carrying out research, it does not necessarily mean that they can describe the nature of what this harm might be or how it can be recognised and so avoided. This is particularly important for those working with vulnerable…

This case study discusses how theory and deductive analysis can be used to better understand work-based learning (WBL). Based in a U.K. teacher education setting, it discusses a project which examined how novice teachers in English Further Education develop their professional knowledge and how their experiences might help understand WBL more…