Sampling and Categorization of Households for Research in Urban India

Abstract

Conventional sampling methodologies for citizens/households in urban research in India are constrained due to the lack of readily available, reliable sampling frames. Voter lists, for example, are riddled with errors and, as such may not be able to provide a robust sampling frame from which a representative sample can be drawn. The Jana–Brown Citizenship Index project consortium (Janaagraha, India; Brown University, USA) has conceptualized a unique research design that provides an alternative way on how to identify, categorize and sample households (and citizens within) in a city in a representative and meaningful way. The consortium consists of the Janaagraha Centre for Citizenship and Democracy, based in India, and the Brown Center for Contemporary South Asia, part of Brown University, USA. The methodology was designed to enable systematic data collection from citizens and households on aspects of citizenship, infrastructure and service delivery across different demographic sections of society. The article describes how (a) data on communities that are in the minority, such as Muslims, scheduled castes (SC) and scheduled tribes (ST), were used to categorize Polling Parts to allow for stratified random sampling using these strata, (b) geospatial tools such as QGIS and Google Earth were used to create base maps aligning to the established Polling Part unit, (c) the resulting maps were used to create listings of buildings, (d) how housing type categorizations were created (based on the structure/construction material/amenities, etc.) and comprised part of the building listing process, and (e) how the listings were used for sampling and to create population weights where necessary. This article describes these methodological approaches in the context of the project while highlighting advantages and challenges in application to urban research in India more generally.