Starting Point
Now we plan a small FGM survey together. This manual will guide you how you plan the survey, how to design a questionnaire, how to go out there and get answers, how to evaluate and draw your conclusions and how to publish it.
Before you start with your survey concept, there are a few points to think about:
- What is the legal situation? Not everywhere everyone is free to do research… at least not officially. If this is the case in your country, you may find suggestions in our section about online surveys after you have read about target groups.
- Make a clear assessment of your time frame and capability: which wo-/ menpower is available, how much time and money can you spend. Think about the costs (copies, transport…) The size of your survey will be determined by all that!
- What do you exactly want to know? You have a clear-cut hypothesis? Or you are interested in an exploratory survey? Define the survey objectives – You should be able to state your idea in one or two sentences.
- Better be Simple. Better a good small-scale survey than a failed overambitious big one. Start with a rather small sample. You can even start with your family & friends. 100 is a good size. If you want to get bigger, then regard it as a test sample.
Please be aware that this manual can only make general suggestions. Our questionnaire may just serve as a model for your own project. You have to adapt it to particular circumstances in your region.
Next
You start with picking your sample. How to do that you will find out in our next section: target groups.
We will provide you with a basic questionnaire which works almost everywhere. We also make suggestions for questions which can be added depending on your setting and what you want to know. Additionally, we give examples for new perspectives on FGM in the extension modules if you want to get adventurous