Designing effective household surveys for Bangladesh requires understanding local context, literacy levels, and cultural considerations. This guide covers practical lessons from designing surveys for development research.
Define Objectives First
Before drafting questions, be clear about:
- What research questions will this survey answer?
- What indicators do you need to construct?
- How will the data inform policy decisions?
Vague objectives lead to bloated questionnaires that exhaust respondents and produce data nobody uses.
Question Design for Bangladesh Context
Language considerations: Translate carefully. Bengali has regional variations—terms familiar in Dhaka may confuse respondents in Sylhet. Pilot in your target areas.
Time references: “Last month” works better than specific dates. Agricultural seasons (boro, aman, aus) are often clearer than months.
Sensitive topics: Income questions work better as ranges rather than exact amounts. Asking about “household income” yields better responses than “your income.”
Data Cleaning is Essential
Before analysis, clean your data systematically:
* Check for duplicates
duplicates report household_id
duplicates drop household_id, force
* Examine outliers
summarize income, detail
list household_id income if income > 1000000
* Check skip patterns
tab section_completed
list household_id if section2_completed == 1 & section1_completed == 0
* Label for clarity
label variable income "Monthly household income (BDT)"
label define district_lbl 1 "Dhaka" 2 "Chittagong" 3 "Khulna"
label values district district_lblPractical Tips
- Keep it short - Aim for 45 minutes maximum. Respondent fatigue affects data quality.
- Pilot extensively - Test in conditions similar to your actual fieldwork.
- Train enumerators well - They’re not just reading questions; they’re building rapport.
- Check data daily - Catch errors while you can still revisit households.
A well-designed survey respects respondents’ time while generating the evidence needed for good policy.