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Research That Matters: Ferguson, Kristin M., Kimberly Bender, Sanna J. Thompson, Elaine M. Maccio, and David Pollio. 2012. "Employment Status and Income Generation Among Homeless Young Adults: Results From a Five-City, Mixed-Methods Study." Youth & Society 44:385-407.

Journal Article 1: Martin, L. (2013). Sampling and sex trading: Lessons on research design from the street. Action Research, 11(3), 220–235.

Abstract: This article explores the use of an action research (AR) approach with a marginalized population of people who trade sex and as a modality to engage diverse stakeholders to work together to reduce harm caused by sex trading. As a trained academic anthropologist thrust into leadership of a community research project, I cobbled together my own self-reflexive praxis and working method with the experts all around me – people who trade sex, police, residents, and more. In the process I discovered that involvement of women who traded sex in the project’s research design created a respectful, humane, connected, and acceptable research process in which participants felt comfortable sharing personal information. AR was better for participants and more useful in surfacing better and deeper knowledge of sex trading. It was also a cost-effective way to design a successful recruitment strategy to broaden the participant base of the study contacting participants not typically involved in research on sex trading. This is important because sampling is a perennial problem in studies of sex trading, prostitution, and sex trafficking. Our research led to new knowledge that formed the basis for action to reduce the harms of sex trading.

Journal Article 2: Liu, M. (2016). Comparing data quality between online panel and intercept samples. Methodological Innovations, 9, 1–11.

Abstract: Although some research effort has been devoted to the comparison of probability- and nonprobability-based Web surveys, different types of nonprobability-based samples have not been thoroughly examined. This exploratory study compares the data quality between online panel and intercept samples. Online panel refers to a pre-recruited and profiled pool of respondents. An intercept sample is a pool of respondents that are obtained through banners, ads, or promotions. Anyone can click on them and subsequently respond to a survey. Respondents are not pre-recruited or profiled. Three surveys with 52, 29, and 19 questions, respectively, were administered to both samples. Propensity score weighting adjustment is used for the analyses. The results show that the completion rates are higher for the panel than the intercept sample. The completion times are similar for these two samples. Data quality, on average, tends to be higher for panel than intercept samples.

Journal Article 3: Léon, L., Des Jarlais, D., Jauffret-Roustide, M., & Le Strat, Y. (2016). Update on respondent-driven sampling: Theory and practical considerations for studies of persons who inject drugs. Methodological Innovations, 9, 1–9.

Abstract: In the last 5 years, more than 600 articles using respondent-driven sampling has been published. This article aims to provide an overview of this sampling technique with an update on the key questions that remain when using respondent-driven sampling, with regard to its application and estimators. Respondent-driven sampling was developed by Heckathorn in 1997 and was based on the principle of individuals recruiting other individuals, who themselves were recruited in previous waves. When there is no sampling frame, respondent-driven sampling has demonstrated its ability to capture individuals belonging to “hidden” or “hard-to-reach” populations in numerous epidemiological surveys. People who use drugs, sex workers, or men who have sex with men are notable examples of specific populations studied using this technique, particularly by public agencies such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in the United States. Respondent-driven sampling, like many others, is based on a set of assumptions that, when respected, can ensure an unbiased estimator. Based on a literature review, we will discuss, among other topics, the effect of violating these assumptions. A special focus is made on surveys of persons who inject drugs. Publications show two major thrusts—methodological and applied researches—for providing practical recommendations in conducting respondent-driven sampling studies. The reasons why respondent-driven sampling did not work for a given population of interest will usually provide important insights for designing health-promoting interventions for that population.