LSU Post-Hurricane Katrina

Community Survey

 

Welcome Interviewers!

 

…And welcome to our research team!

 

 

Very important!  Please read through the materials on the following web pages before you begin.

 

o   Note: you can download all the needed materials in printable form here.

o   Also: pls ask your friends if they’d like to join our team.  See the ad here.

 

 

A.   Before You Begin –

 

Read the rest of this page before you do your first interview.

 

  1. Read through the materials you will use, to familiarize yourself with them. 

 

  1. Read through the survey.  It is available here. 

 

  1. Read through the introductory text, below.  You’ll use this as the introduction to the interview, instead of the introduction on the paper or web.

 

    • You should print out copies that you can take with you as you go door to door.    There’s no need to memorize!  A printable copy is here.

 

    • You will also need to print out copies of the Contact Information Sheet, here.  (See below for how to use it.)

 

  1. Practice the survey with another interviewer.  (Important!) 

 

    • Pair up, and each person do the interview with the other.  Then trade places and do it again. 

 

When you are ready, knock on a door – or approach a community member sitting on their front porch – and begin the survey.

 

 

B.   Read this Introduction to the community member –

 

Hi, my name is [First Name].  I’m a student at LSU in Baton Rouge.  We’re here in New Orleans today, working on a survey of storm recovery.  We’re not selling anything. 

 

Our research team at LSU is making the results available to community leaders – churches, neighborhood associations, and other community organizations – to help with community recovery.  If your church or community organization would like the results, I can put them in touch with the survey team.  [Take any information offered.]

 

For this survey, I’d like to speak with the person in your household who had the last birthday and who is 18 or older.  May I speak to this person?

 

[IF R IS THIS PERSON, CONTINUE WITH INTRO; IF ANOTHER R COMES TO DOOR, INTRODUCE YOURSELF AGAIN AND CONTINUE]

 

Can I do the survey with you? 

 

1.    [If no]  Okay, I understand.  Have a good day.  [End Interview]

 

2.    [If yes]  Great!  I’m supposed to tell you a couple things before we start.  All your answers are completely confidential, and you are free to skip any question or to end the survey at any point.  LSU will not release personally identifying information; and they will report results only in aggregate, percentaged form. 

 

If you have questions about the survey or respondents’ rights, I can tell you who to contact. 

 

 [Do not volunteer this information, but continue on with the survey.  If they want to know, give them only the contact information they ask for:]

 

[Questions about the survey:] You can contact the LSU Sociology Department at 126 Stubbs Hall, tel. 225-578-1645.  Tell them you have a question about the LSU Katrina Survey.

 

[Questions about respondents’ rights:] You can contact Robert C. Mathews, Chairman of the Institutional Review Board at LSU, at 203 B-1 David Boyd Hall, tel. 225-578-8692.

 

 

C.   After Reading the Introduction, ask –

 

My first question is, did you live in Orleans Parish when Hurricane Katrina struck?  [If no:]  Which Parish did you live in? 

 

1.    [For Orleans, Jefferson, or Plaquemines Parishes, begin the survey with question 1]

 

o   Note: Do not read the introduction to the survey on the paper version, but start with Question 1.

 

2.    [If another Parish:]  We’re not doing interviews for people who lived in [Parish named], but thank you very much!  [End Interview]

 

 

D.   After you finish the Interview –

 

Ask the respondent for contact information for other people who might be willing to do the interview.  We will organize telephone interviews, using this contact information.

 

1.    Before you go out, print out copies of the Contact Information Sheet, available on the web, here.

 

2.    Ask the respondent if they have family members, friends, or neighbors who are currently at work, OR who have not returned to New Orleans, who might be willing to do the survey.  If they do, please write the information in the Contact Information Sheet.

 

3.    If they do, ask the respondent to call them while you’re there, and tell them a volunteer will call to do an interview.  Leave a voicemail if necessary.  This step will help a lot!!

 

 

E.   Bring your completed questionnaires back to your team leader.

 

·         If you should ever need to, please bring the completed surveys to:

 

LSU Katrina Survey

Department of Sociology, LSU

126 Stubbs Hall

Baton Rouge, LA 70803

225-578-1645

 

Please do not leave questionnaires with residents to fill out themselves.  Most people will not return them.