The Future of Survey Sampling: How Technology is Leading a Breakthrough with Douglas Johnson of IDinsight

Survey & Beyond: The Data Collection Podcast

In this episode of Survey & Beyond: The Data Collection Podcast, host Marta Costa is joined by Douglas Johnson, a Senior Statistician on the Technical Team at IDinsight. Together, they share groundbreaking approaches to survey sampling that balance rigor with cost-effectiveness, especially in regions where traditional census data is unavailable or unreliable.

What You’ll Learn:

• How traditional sampling methods like the "right-hand rule" fall short in delivering replicable, unbiased results
• Why satellite imagery and rooftop data are transforming household survey sampling methodology
• The practical implementation of rooftop sampling and how it improves upon conventional approaches
• How grid-based sampling works and when it's most appropriate to use
• The technical requirements and organizational considerations for implementing new sampling methods
• Why AI and technology will enhance but not replace human-conducted household surveys
  

Douglas Johnson is a Senior Statistician on the Technical Team at IDinsight, specializing in survey sampling methodology and data quality improvement for global development research. With extensive expertise in statistical analysis and survey design, he leads innovative work through IDinsight's Data Delta initiative, which aims to make household surveys better, faster, and more cost-effective. Johnson has pioneered new approaches to survey sampling, including rooftop sampling methodology, and has worked with organizations like Meta, the World Bank, and UNICEF to revolutionize data collection in hard-to-reach areas.

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Episode Highlights:

• 0:00 Intro
• 2:27 Why Traditional Sampling Is Broken
• 4:44 Why Satellite Imagery Changes the Game
• 6:42 The Right-Hand Rule Debunked
• 10:37 The Road to Rooftop Sampling
• 13:08 Lessons From the Field
• 16:04 Is Grid-Based Sampling Worth It?
• 19:19 Skills and Tools You’ll Need
• 25:00 The Future of Sampling
• 26:56 AI and the Role of Human Interaction
  

Episode Resources:

• Douglas Johnson on LinkedIn
• IDinsight Website
• Marta Costa on LinkedIn
• Dobility Website
• SurveyCTO Website
• Right-Hand Rule Sampling" Blog Post
• Grid-based Sampling Blog Post
• WorldPop Website
• GHS-POP Website
• Google My Maps Website
• MapSolve Website

Guest Resources:

• Right-hand rule sampling
  • Blog post on why right-hand rule sampling leads to biased results
• Grid-based sampling
  • Blog post introducing grid-based sampling
  • Blog post on lessons learned using grid-based sampling
  • Code to implement grid-based sampling
  • Additional code to cluster grids
• Rooftop sampling
  • Working paper showing that rooftop sampling leads to relatively little bias
  • Code and guidance to implement rooftop sampling
• Voter roll sampling
  • Academic paper showing that voter rolls have high coverage in rural India

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