Respondent-driven sampling: empirical evaluation and methodological development

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A new method of gathering data on vulnerable groups in society has been proposed, called Respondent Driven Sampling. Research is needed to assess how well Respondent Driven Sampling works in collecting high-quality data, and also to explore if the method could be improved. This research will test whether Respondent Driven Sampling works in London university students and fishermen in Uganda. It will also evaluate and extend the theory on which Respondent Driven Sampling is based using state-of-the-art statistical inference and computational modellingIf Respondent Driven Sampling can be shown to work well, it will allow researchers and public heath workers to monitor trends in highly-vulnerable groups such as sex-workers and injecting drug users. Data that could be used, for example, to see whether HIV prevention programs in these groups are succeeding or failing.