Video Series on High-Quality Data Collection

Provides an overview of the types of survey error that can happen in data collection and strategies to ensure objectivity

Discusses how to prepare for survey data collection, including collecting consent from parents or guardians, preparing to obtain assent from youth, and pre-testing survey instruments.

Provides an overview of strategies for conducting virtual surveys, including obtaining youth assent, ensuring privacy, and working to achieve high response rates.

Discusses how to conduct observations consistently to collect high-quality data and reduce potential sources of bias in the resulting data.

Provides an overview of the procedures to follow when conducting interviews and focus groups to ensure data accurately reflects participants’ perspectives.

Discusses how to administer in-person surveys, including collecting youth assent and parent or guardian consent, ensuring privacy while youth take the survey, addressing youths’ questions and concerns, and achieving high response rates.

Provides an overview of when and how to link survey data, including using unique identification numbers to link data to individuals and preparing materials to accurately link data and maintain privacy.

Reviews strategies to achieve high response rates for follow-up surveys, including collecting multiple contact methods from program participants, maintaining relationships after programs end, deciding on the easiest way to distribute your survey, sending tailored reminders, and incentivizing survey completion.

Provides an overview of how to store and share data securely, including storing and sharing paper and electronic data, destroying data when no longer needed, and addressing mishandled or leaked data.

Provides an overview of how to use fidelity logs to help ensure programs are implemented as intended, including deciding which program elements to monitor, identifying or creating a fidelity log for facilitators, deciding how often to complete fidelity logs, and analyzing fidelity log data for program improvement.

Provides an overview of institutional review boards (IRBs), including when IRB approval is needed for data collection, considerations for selecting an IRB to work with, materials required for submission, and the three types of IRB reviews.

Provides an overview of how to train data collectors, including selecting people to train, covering relevant training topics, and delivering training in an appropriate and engaging structure to improve the consistency and quality of data collection.