1. Data Collection An Overview of the AEMS Sampling Plan and
Best Practices in Data Collection
Prepared by: Jehanzeb Cheema
Research Methods Specialist
International Institute of Islamic Thought (IIIT)

2. Sampling for AEMS Survey
Data Collection: Sampling Plan
Sampling for AEMS Survey
Given the financial, manpower and time constraints faced by AEMS team, we propose a multistage sampling scheme for data collection which represents a compromise between convenience sampling and full probability-based random sampling.

3. Proposed Sampling Scheme
Data Collection: Sampling Plan
Proposed Sampling Scheme
This sampling scheme involves randomly selecting locations within regions that IIIT affiliates have access to in their respective countries, followed by random selection of schools within each location in the second stage, and a random selection of classrooms within each school in the third stage. Sampling in this manner ensures that theoretically each student in regions where IIIT has presence has a non-zero probability of being included in the final sample.

4. Recommended Sample Size
Data Collection: Sampling Plan
Recommended Sample Size
The exact number of locations, schools/universities, and classrooms sampled will depend on the level of access and budgeted resources in each country. Our general recommendation is to have a final (complete) sample size of at least schools (or two universities) from each country with at least 1,000 students sampled in total.

5. Ensuring Adequate Sampling at Each Stage
Data Collection: Sampling Plan
Ensuring Adequate Sampling at Each Stage
It is important to have a sufficient number of units sampled from each stage (i.e. locations, schools, and classrooms). Thus, sampling 30 schools with 50 students per school (n = 1,500) is preferable to sampling 2 schools with 750 students per school (n = 1,500) even though both situations result in the same overall sample size. This is because the latter scenario includes only 2 schools which is a very small number for generalization purposes .

6. Planning for Sample Attrition
Data Collection: Sampling Plan
Planning for Sample Attrition
In order to achieve a target sample size of 1,000 survey administrators will usually need to start with a higher number. For example, assuming a 20% non-response rate (e.g. respondents not agreeing to participate in the survey) the starting sample size will need to be 1,250 so that it results in 1,250 x 0.8 = 1,000 complete responses.

7. Data Collection: Sampling Plan
In most countries large samples of administrators, teachers, and parents will be hard to achieve. Thus, data collected from these groups will need to be enhanced with qualitative methods.
The next few slides describe some typical scenarios that may be encountered by regional data collection teams.

8. Data Collection: Sampling Plan
Scenario 1

9. Data Collection: Sampling Plan
Scenario 2

10. Data Collection: Sampling Plan
Scenario 3

11. Data Collection: Best Practices and Ethical Considerations
Introduction
Source: This presentation provides a summary of information available at the following website:
Audience: All AEMS personnel directly or indirectly engaged in data collection from human subjects.
Aim: The primary aim of this presentation is to provide guidelines for best practices that can help minimize error in survey data collection, and thus improve the accuracy and reliability of statistical results based on such data.
Interview stages: There are several issues that must be considered at each stage of data collection i.e. before, during, and after completion of data collection.

12. Initial Considerations
Data Collection: Best Practices and Ethical Considerations
Initial Considerations
Authorization: All permissions required for data collection should be secured prior to sending data collection personnel to data collection sites.
Workload: The number of interviews and other associated tasks to be conducted by each data collector should be scheduled in advance in order to ensure a smooth process and to minimize fatigue.
Training: Data collectors with insufficient experience should be briefed by experienced counterparts and can be trained using a variety of free online resources.
Interviewer characteristics: Data collectors/interviewers should be matched as much as possible with the respondents on selected characteristics (e.g. gender, age, nationality, education etc.) in order to minimize non-response.
Safety considerations: Steps should be taken to ensure safety of all personnel tasked with contacting respondents and collecting data.

13. Considerations during Data Collection
Data Collection: Best Practices and Ethical Considerations
Considerations during Data Collection
Respondent rights: Respondents should be aware of the voluntary nature of the survey and their right to not participate, and should be assured that any information they provide will remain confidential.
Uniformity and standardization: Each data collection task (or interview) should be conducted in more or less the same way by data collectors (interviewers) individually and as a group. It is essential not to make any changes to the survey questionnaire such as the wording of questions or the order in which questions are presented to the respondent.
Leading actions: Under no circumstances should the data collector suggest answers to the respondent or complete the survey without input from the respondent.
Probes: It is okay for a data collector to gently probe the respondent for cooperation, to keep the discussion on track, and to keep the respondent motivated.
Ensuring completeness: Each survey questionnaire should be examined before conclusion of data collection in order to ensure completeness of information.

14. Post-Data Collection Considerations
Data Collection: Best Practices and Ethical Considerations
Post-Data Collection Considerations
Data security: It is the data collector’s responsibility to keep all data secure after conclusion of the data collection process.
Restrict access: Access to respondent data should be restricted to authorized personnel only by keeping completed questionnaires under lock and key, or by encrypting files when data is in electronic format.
Respect respondent anonymity: This requires not keeping any information on hand that can be used to trace respondents based on their answers to survey questions.
Destroy unneeded survey documents: Data administrators should destroy all survey-related documents that have served their purpose and are no longer required.

15. Data Collection: Best Practices and Ethical Considerations
Additional Resources
National Institutes of Health (NIH). Ethics in research
University of Michigan Institute for Social Research (ISR). Data collection: Face-to-face surveys
surveys
Journal of Survey Statistics and Methodology. Explaining interviewer effects: A research synthesis
GESIS – Leibniz Institute for the Social Sciences. Survey guidelines