Module summary

Recommended practices for the HHFA are aimed at:

• ensuring the respondent’s collaboration (e.g. requesting consent, showing respect, listening carefully, thanking the respondent at the end of the interview); and
• collecting accurate and complete data (e.g. reading questions as written, never suggesting answers, probing only when necessary, asking all applicable questions).

Depending on the situation, data collectors may need to:

• steer the respondent gently back to the original question;
• find out why the respondent is reluctant to participate; and
• re-interest the respondent in the conversation.

Respondents may hesitate to answer questions about sensitive topics because of a variety of reasons, such as fear of criminal charges, police harassment, losing funding, reputational damage, career stalling, or conscientious objection.

Appropriate responses in these situations consist of showing that we hear the person’s objections, explaining the purpose of the questions on the sensitive topics, and reassuring about the lack of reprisals for providing the information.