Abstract
BackgroundAudio-Computer Assisted Self- Interview (ACASI) is a method of data collection in which participants listen to pre-recorded questions through headphones and respond to questions by selecting their answers on a touch screen or keypad, and is seen as advantageous for gathering data on sensitive topics such as experiences of violence. This paper seeks to explore the feasibility and acceptability of using ACASI with adolescent girls and to document the implementation of such an approach in two humanitarian settings: conflict-affected communities in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and refugee camps along the Sudan-Ethiopia border.MethodsThis paper evaluates the feasibility and acceptability of implementing ACASI, based on the experiences of using this tool in baseline data collections for COMPASS (Creating Opportunities through Mentorship, Parental involvement, and Safe Spaces) impact evaluations in DRC (N = 868) and Ethiopia (N = 919) among adolescent girls. Descriptive statistics and logistic regression models were generated to examine associations between understanding of the survey and selected demographics in both countries.ResultsOverall, nearly 90 % of girls in the DRC felt that the questions were easy to understand as compared to approximately 75 % in Ethiopia. Level of education, but not age, was associated with understanding of the survey in both countries.ConclusionsFinancial and time investment to ready ACASI was substantial in order to properly contextualize the approach to these specific humanitarian settings, including piloting of images, language assessments, and checking both written translations and corresponding verbal recordings. Despite challenges, we conclude that ACASI proved feasible and acceptable to participants and to data collection teams in two diverse humanitarian settings.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s13031-016-0098-1) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
Highlights
Audio-Computer Assisted Self- Interview (ACASI) is a method of data collection in which participants listen to pre-recorded questions through headphones and respond to questions by selecting their answers on a touch screen or keypad, and is seen as advantageous for gathering data on sensitive topics such as experiences of violence
While ACASI is increasing in popularity as a data collection method in development settings, little is known about its use in humanitarian emergencies
Response rates for the survey was high in Ethiopia and Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) (97.8% and 99.8%, respectively)
Summary
Audio-Computer Assisted Self- Interview (ACASI) is a method of data collection in which participants listen to pre-recorded questions through headphones and respond to questions by selecting their answers on a touch screen or keypad, and is seen as advantageous for gathering data on sensitive topics such as experiences of violence. ACASI is believed to improve quality data collection, above and beyond general benefits of technological approaches to data collection which can minimize data entry errors and reduce time to clean and monitor incoming data [2] Such benefits of using ACASI may include minimizing skipping of questions and increasing reporting of sensitive behaviors [3,4,5,6]. Settings with refugees and/or internally displaced persons can be challenging environments for survey administration given levels of mobility and the fact that large, heterogeneous groups of people with various cultures and languages which often reside in close geographic proximity Such heterogeneity may require surveys to be administered in multiple languages or require cultural adaptations that may increase the potential for measurement error or require substantial updating of the tools in the field. There may be challenges directly related to the use of ACASI, including concerns regarding risk of theft of portable technological devices [14] against the backdrop of limited or interrupted internet connectivity and electricity
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