Remote evaluations of violence against women and girls interventions: a rapid scoping review of tools, ethics and safety

Abstract

Although programmes and policies targeting violence against women and girls (VAWG) have increased in the past decade, there is a paucity of evidence on the effectiveness of these interventions. To expand this evidence base, researchers increasingly employ remote data collection (RDC)—including online surveys, mobile applications and telephone interviews—in their evaluations. Although RDC allows for evaluations without in-person interactions—which are restricted during crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic— information about these methods is necessary to understand their potential usefulness and limitations. This scoping review examines remote evaluations of VAWG interventions to describe the landscape of RDC methods, reflect on safety and ethical considerations, and offer best practices for RDC in VAWG research. Fourteen studies met eligibility criteria, with seven, five, and two studies employing telephone interviews, online surveys, and mobile applications, respectively. Studies commonly stated that participants were asked to use a safe email or device, but the method for verifying such safety was rarely specified. Best practices around safety included creating a ‘quick escape’ button for online data collection to use when another individual was present, explaining to participants how to erase browsing history and application purchases, and asking participants to specify a safe time for researchers to call. Only eight studies established referral pathways for respondents as per best practice. None of the eligible studies took place in low/middle-income countries (LMICs) or humanitarian settings, likely reflecting the additional challenges to using RDC methods in lower resource settings. Findings were used to create a best practice checklist for programme evaluators and Institutional Review Boards using RDC for VAWG interventions. The authors found that opportunities exist for researchers to safely and effectively use RDC methodologies to gather VAWG data, but that further study is needed to gauge the feasibility of these methods in LMICs and humanitarian settings.

Remote methods for research on violence against women and children: lessons and challenges from research during the COVID-19 pandemic

“…A rapid review of remote data collection on violence found only 14 studies, all from high-income countries, of which only two included children. 25 There is a need for further research that examines if, and how, violence research can be ethically and effectively done remotely. As a group of violence researchers, we reflect on our experiences across eight studies, some ongoing and some complete, that included remote data collection methods.…”

“…Prior to the pandemic, violence research was rarely conducted using remote data collection. A rapid review of remote data collection on violence found only 14 studies, all from high-income countries, of which only two included children 25. There is a need for further research that examines if, and how, violence research can be ethically and effectively done remotely.…”

Impact of a Maternal Motivational Interviewing on Oral Health in the Mother-Child Dyad

“…In their place, phone surveys were carried out and, although the results reported for both methods are similar, some of the information may have been affected by bias and the social pressure on the participants to answer in a manner they felt was socially desirable. Additionally, this method of data collection results in lower rates of participation compared with face-to-face collection [ 26 ]. No online instrument was used in order to avoid any reduction in participation due to lack of internet or multimedia devices among this sector of the population.…”

Factors of Violence Against Women During Covid-19 Pandemic: Literature Review

“…Penyebaran infeksi COVID-19 dan karantina selanjutnya, membuat orang terpaksa mengeluarkan uang yang lebih banyak di dalam rumah, yang dapat meningkatkan risiko kekerasan dalam rumah tangga terhadap perempuan karena kemungkinan perbedaan pendapat, ketakutan tertular virus, dan masalah keuangan [13].…”