The use of epidemiological tools in conflict-affected populations: open-access educational resources for policy-makers

Table of Contents

1. Welcome
2. Introduction: Epidemiology in crises
3. Ethical issues in data collection
4. Need for epidemiologic competence
5. Surveys - Introduction
   1. What is a survey?
   2. Types of outcomes and indicators measured in a survey
   3. Reasons to do a survey
   4. Questions to ask before beginning or commissioning a survey
   5. Alternatives to conducting new surveys
   6. Limitations of surveys
   7. Valid questions to answer
   8. Formulation of goals and objectives
6. Surveys - Description of sampling methods
7. Surveys - Sampling error, bias, accuracy, precision, & sample size
8. Surveys - Resources required for surveys
9. Surveys - Critiquing survey reports
10. Surveillance - When to do surveillance
11. Surveillance - Methods
12. Surveillance - Common problems
13. Programme data
14. Rapid assessment
15. Mortality - Indicators and their measurement
16. Mortality - Data sources
17. Mortality - Interpretation and action
18. Nutrition - Introduction and background
19. Nutrition - Indicators and their measurement
20. Nutrition - Data sources
21. Nutrition - Interpretation and action
22. Health services
23. Vaccination programmes
24. Water supply, sanitation, and shelter
25. Violence
26. Presentation of results
27. Formulating conclusions and recommendations
28. Dissemination and action

Alternatives to conducting new surveys

(go to Outline)

In addition to surveys, there are many other methods of data collection. Before deciding to do a survey, ask yourself if your questions could be answered better by another type of data collection, such as:

• Prospective surveillance
• Secondary data collection, including the results of previous surveys
• Programme data
• Food market monitoring
• Qualitative assessments
• Rapid assessment

If another type of data collection could answer your question, it may be a better method. If this is true, perhaps a survey is not the best thing to do in this situation.

Subsequent material in this course will provide more information on some of these other types of data collection, as indicated by the hyperlinks above.