South Louisiana is home to diverse communities and a vibrant blend of culture, livelihoods, and identity. Over the past two decades, this region has experienced numerous natural and technological disasters-- hurricanes,... [ view full abstract ]
South Louisiana is home to diverse communities and a vibrant blend of culture, livelihoods, and identity. Over the past two decades, this region has experienced numerous natural and technological disasters-- hurricanes, catastrophic flooding, and the Deepwater Horizon oil spill (DHOS). Rebuilding and rebounding after these events is a process that unfolds at the individual, family, community, and state level over many years. Studying social processes and effects alongside these efforts often involves a longitudinal approach by evaluating a cohort over time.
Respondent engagement becomes increasingly difficult as distance increases—in time, place, and psychology—from the disaster onset and as a result, special considerations should be made during outreach and re-interview. This paper provides a methodological case study of the second wave of data collection conducted as part of the Resilient Children, Youth, and Communities (RCYC) project. RCYC is a longitudinal, mixed-methods study of over 480 households with children living in highly impacted areas of Louisiana at the time of the DHOS. We will explore project techniques for maximizing respondent retention, managing effective field teams, and efficient use of project resources.
We will discuss common challenges and more nuanced methodologies to improve respondent retention and tracking/tracing based on findings from this field effort. Multi-modal, personalized approaches to respondent re-engagement and tracking were leveraged throughout the various stages of field effort. Flexibility and consideration to RCYC cohort and community characteristics shaped field outreach strategies over time. We will also explore outreach strategies for mixed methods data collection—contrasting door to door surveying with focus group recruitment within the same longitudinal cohort. Finally, strategies for effective project management—hiring, training, and promotion of field team culture-- will be discussed as they relate to this case study.
