Keywords: Challenges of comparative research and International Survey Projects, cross-cultural concerns in data collection and measurement issues

Public opinion research is increasingly being conducted using modalities such as cell-phones and the internet. However, in many African countries, personal interviews where interviewers enter data on paper or computer are still ubiquitous. Even as this conference explores cutting edge ways of conducting public opinion research, it remains crucial to understand how to conduct rigorous public opinion research in challenging contexts.
Our research presents the findings from a comparative study of two of our public opinion research projects: One was the Gallup World Poll Survey in Liberia and the other was the Gallup World Poll Survey in Gambia. We selected these two projects for our comparative study because they are similar in almost every respect except the context and the methodology of deploying the opinion polls. In Liberia, we used CAPI on tablets whereas in Gambia, we used cell-phones to administer the survey. Our research explores the lessons learned – methodological, cultural and contextual – from the two projects. We also put forth recommendations to aid other researchers working in challenging contexts.
In terms of methodology, the research primarily draws on findings from content analyses of our data collection plans and memos from the two projects. We complement these findings with qualitative interviews with the Gallup management team. Since they implement the Gallup poll in several countries, they are in a good position to provide further insights into common challenges and recommendations. Lastly, we are in the process of conducting a systematic review to see how other public opinion researchers overcome the unique challenges that are common in developing countries. The paper will essentially be a compendium of all the lessons learned on conducting rigorous public opinion research in Africa.
Some of the challenges we have encountered over the years include: poor infrastructure (roads and telecommunication) which makes it difficult to adhere to project timelines and to get real-time information from field teams, high costs, low response rates, non-response to questions related to sensitive questions such as those pertaining to income, political events or crises which lead to delayed data collection, and many others.
Some of the mitigation strategies we used on these two projects were: making sure that enumerators have more than one sim card so that at least one would work, use of Computer-Assisted Personal Interviewing (CAPI) instead of Paper And Pencil Interviewing (PAPI), leveraging the GPS capabilities on CAPI, keeping surveys to about 30-45 minutes, offering incentives and emphasizing cultural competence in the design and implementation of the research.
We believe that our research will add much value to the conference by shedding light on how to conduct public opinion research in African countries.