A comparison of geosampling and random walk methods for household sample selection in Uttar Pradesh, India

James C. Cajka; Lisa M. Thalji; Justine L. Allpress; Charles Quincannon Lau; Jennifer Joan Unangst; Stephanie Anne Eckman; Jonathan Christian Evans; John David Bunker; Kasey River Jones; Pramod Bhatt; Charles Lau; Jennifer Joan Unangst; Stephanie Anne Eckman; Pramod Bhatt; Jonathan Christian Evans; Martha Mcroy; Kelsey Starr; Lisa M. Thalji; Justine L. Allpress; Kasey River Jones; James C. Cajka; John David Bunker

A comparison of geosampling and random walk methods for household sample selection in Uttar Pradesh, India

Lau, C. Q., Unangst, J., Eckman, S., Bhatt, P., Evans, J., Mcroy, M., Starr, K., Thalji, L., Allpress, J., Jones, K., Cajka, J., & Bunker, J. D. (2021). A comparison of geosampling and random walk methods for household sample selection in Uttar Pradesh, India. International Journal of Public Opinion Research, 33(4), 1062-1073. Article edab020. https://doi.org/10.1093/ijpor/edab020

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Abstract

Our research evaluates an innovative sampling technique for household surveys called “geosampling” which leverages recent advances in geographic information systems, computer vision algorithms, and satellite imagery. We compare geosampling to the random walk method. We conducted two surveys in Uttar Pradesh, India: one using geosampling (1,026 completes) and another using random walk (939 completes). We compare the two sampling techniques along three dimensions: (a) performance indicators—response rates and contact attempts; (b) sample composition; and (c) components of variance. We help researchers understand the survey contexts for which geosampling and random walk are best suited.