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Survey Research in Africa: A Sociologist's View

The essay by Hopkins and Mitchell (“The Viability of Survey Research in Africa: Some Propositions”) appears to have multiple objectives which may benefit from further examination. First, it is an apologia for survey research in Africa which is intended to counter “doubts” and “attacks” which arise from some quarters. However, the criticisms of survey research in Africa need to be more fully identified along with evidence or arguments to discount them. In particular, the major criticisms cited in footnote 4 are not dealt with explicitly in the subsequent set of “propositions.” Thus the objective of defending survey research in Africa (or elsewhere) remains largely unfulfilled. Second, Hopkins and Mitchell offer a catalog of “assorted conventional and not-so-conventional wisdom” on the design, execution, and evaluation of survey research in Africa. However, there are several potential problems with the propositions which should be noted: problems of coverage, generality and distinctiveness. Coverage. As it now stands, the review is not sufficiently comprehensive in scope nor detailed in treatment to serve as more than a general guide for survey researchers. It is a useful beginning but merits considerable elaboration and systemization. Moreover, some of the propositions (e.g., 1, 4, 5, 16) appear to have little to do with survey methods perse but rather apply to social research in general.