Researching hard-to-reach and vulnerable groups

Researching hard-to-reach and vulnerable groups

It is becoming increasingly important to ensure that both public sector social research and private sector consumer research includes all members of the community. Few other research agencies have our breadth of experience and can convincingly demonstrate an awareness of the logistical issues associated with researching minority and hard-to-reach populations. Research which includes the hardest to reach respondents Ipsos MORI s Social Research Institute specialises in conducting high quality research among minority and hard-toreach groups on sensitive subject areas. Few other research agencies have our breadth of experience and can convincingly demonstrate an awareness of the logistical issues associated with researching these groups. For example, we know from our work on research methods by the Ipsos MORI Research Methods Unit (RMU) that how data is collected among ethnic minority groups can result in response bias. For instance, our work on ODPM's Best Value Performance Indicators (BVPIs) shows that ethnic minority residents are less likely to respond to postal surveys than their white counterparts. Therefore, postal research may not be the most reliable way of exploring the views of this audience. One of the issues here may be language - if surveys are sent out in English and residents do not feel comfortable with written English, they will not respond. We work closely with national and local government, private sector organisations, local partnerships and the not-for-profit sector to provide robust evidence for policy makers as well as business, providing research that is creative, analytical and actionable. Ipsos MORI has invested in the recruitment and training of a large fieldforce able to conduct research in diverse communities, including areas of high deprivation. We have wide ranging experience relating to a breadth of hard-to-reach groups from high income families, to Class A substance misusers. In addition, Ipsos MORI can call upon a number of bilingual interviewers and recruiters, which is vital to ensuring quality and inclusive research. We have ethnic minority group recruiters in key areas of settlement such as Birmingham, London and the North West. Hard-to-reach groups recently researched by Ipsos MORI include: Ethnic minority communities Refugees and asylum seekers Travellers People who do not speak English Religious minorities Class A substance misusers and young glue sniffers People with mental health issues People with learning disabilities Young people with special educational needs Young people in care, and care leavers People with mobility impairments Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgendered people (LGBT) People with communication difficulties including visual, hearing and speech impairment Mobile only households Households with high incomes ( 100k+) Early adaptors of new technologies

Methodological techniques There are several different methodologies specifically relevant to researching hard-to-reach and minority populations. Below we detail some of the key techniques, and their strengths and weaknesses. Random Sampling: This is the purest approach to research, where each respondent in the defined population has an equal chance of being chosen. It can work well when we have an accurate list of all the people who fall into the research population (for example our work with Guide Dog owners 1 ). However, when this is not the case it is impossible to conduct random sampling. Using a random sampling approach to research minority groups from within the general population is extremely expensive as it requires significant screening before eligible respondents are located. Pros: Most robust method of conducting research. Cons: Can be expensive and time intensive. It is not always appropriate for minority groups (i.e. where we do not have an accurate list of the entire population from which to select respondents). 1 See case studies Snowballing: In this technique existing respondents recruit future participants from among their social networks recommending friends and acquaintances suitable for the research. This sampling technique is particularly useful when either researching groups where there is no reliable population list, or researching those who are not easily accessible via voluntary or statutory organisations. Ipsos MORI has recently used this approach to research travellers, refugees, class A drug users and young glue sniffers. Pros: This technique is cost-effective and relatively easy to administer once an initial contact has been made. Cons: As snowballing does not produce representative results it is best suited to qualitative rather than quantitative research. Note: A good indication of representativeness is to consider the extent to which findings are common between different snowballed groups of respondents, or different regions for example. Peer interviewing: This technique is useful when researching groups who may be more likely to share information with a peer than with a professional researcher. Respondent groups where this approach has been appropriate in the past include victims of domestic violence, care leavers, ethnic minority homeless substance abusers and drug users. Ipsos MORI also uses peer interviewing to some extent by matching our interviewers genders, ethnicity and religion to respondents. Pros: The actual length of interview using this approach is often shorter as interviewers have to spend less time selling the research and warming respondents up. Importantly, peer interviewing also builds capacity and develops the skills and self esteem of the interviewer (contact Ipsos MORI s Participation Unit for more information about participative research). Cons: This approach can be quite time intensive in terms of training, management and fieldwork monitoring.

Researching in high penetration areas: This is the most commonly used method to conduct quantitative research with minority groups, in particular ethnic minority groups. Research is conducted in areas where minority groups comprise a greater proportion of the population than is seen nationally. For example, ethnic minority groups represent around 8% of the national population; however, using a high penetration area sampling approach we would survey in areas where specific ethnic minority communities comprise 10% or more of the population. This increases the probability of finding eligible respondents and thus reduces fieldwork costs. Pros: This technique is more costeffective and much faster to administer than random sampling. Focused enumeration: Focused enumeration makes use of local knowledge by asking neighbours to identify members of minority groups living at adjacent addresses. Interviewers then screen these addresses to find eligible respondents. Pros: This technique is useful when dealing with visible minority groups, and produces more representative results than the high penetration approach. It is more cost-effective than random sampling; however it is still quite expensive. Cons: This technique is not effective for locating non-visible minority groups like people with mental health problems for example. Increasingly issues around data protection also have to be considered. Cons: Although results with respondents in high penetration can be said to be representative of those areas they are not necessarily reflective of findings across the group as a whole. Indeed, our work for the Electoral Commission (see case study) shows that ethnic minority respondents living in high penetration areas sometimes have very different attitudes to those living in low penetration areas.

Case Studies Electoral Commission: Ethnic Minorities and the General Election (2005) In the first study of its kind, Ipsos MORI conducted a face to face survey of 1,200 ethnic minorities across Great Britain looking at their attitudes towards the 2005 General Election, including reasons for voting and non-voting. The study supplemented the British Election Study. In addition to researching areas with a high proportion of ethnic minorities, the sampling frame also included ethnic minorities living in areas where they were not heavily concentrated. This proved to be extremely important as the two different groups of ethnic minorities recorded very different results. Surrey County Council: Understanding the Needs of Young People in Surrey (2005) Ipsos MORI carried out a series of nine focus groups with people involved in youth forums, young offenders and children with disabilities aged between seven and 17. The discussions focused on five areas: being healthy, staying safe, enjoying and achieving, making a positive contribution and economic well-being and also explored young people s perceptions of local services. The research enabled Surrey County Council to respond to the Every Child Matters framework and will inform the range, scope and provision of services for children and young people. Home Office: Drugwatch: A pilot study of emerging trends in illicit drugs in England and Wales (2004-5) With the objective of identifying new trends in drug use and supply, the treatment of drug users and issues surrounding youth drug misuse and community responses to the problem, Ipsos MORI conducted telephone interviews with drug professionals (including treatment providers, police, probation, Drug Action Team staff and youth workers) and face-to-face interviews with 200 class A substance misusers in ten locations across the UK. This research also included an element of peer interviewing. BBC: Multiculturalism Poll (2005) This comprised a nationally representative telephone survey with the general public (1,000 interviews) and a booster sample of 200 Muslim respondents. The survey looked at Multiculturalism in Britain today and compared the views of Muslims to the general public in light of the terrorist attacks on London in July. Guide Dogs: Perceptions of the Association (2005-ongoing) Ipsos MORI conducted five telephone-moderated focus groups with guide dog users around the country. Based on this work we are now conducting a large scale quantitative telephone study of all 5,000 guide dog owners in the UK to quantify perceptions of the Guide Dog Association. Social Exclusion Unit, ODPM: Transient Populations use of public services (2005) This qualitative study used a combination of depth interviews, interviews with family units and focus group discussions to explore how transient and highly mobile populations access public services. Interviews were conducted with refugees, travellers, mobile families and mobile adults. Many of the interviews and discussions with refugees were conducted with the aid of interpreters. Home Office: A programme of voluntary returns for Iraqis (2004-2005) This qualitative study was conducted to look at perceptions of programmes of voluntary return for the Iraqi community in the UK. The first stage of the study comprised depth interviews with those working in the field of immigration, including representatives from refugee groups. The second phase of the study consisted of depth interviews, paired depth interviews and focus groups with members of the Iraqi community, including Kurds, Sunnis, Shi as, Christians and women.

Contact Us For more information about how the Ipsos MORI Social Research Institute can help you, please contact any of the following: Kully Kaur-Ballagan kully.kaur-ballagan@mori.com Oswin Baker oswin.baker@mori.com Rebecca Eligon rebecca.eligon@mori.com Joe Ballantyne joe.ballantyne@mori.com Tel: 020 7347 3000 We are based at: Ipsos MORI House 79-81 Borough Road London SE1 1FY United Kingdon Visit our website: www.mori.com/ethnic