Overlooked Threats to Respondent Driven Sampling Estimators: Peer Recruitment Reality, Degree Measures, and Random Selection Assumption

© 2017 Springer Science+Business Media, LLC Intensive sociometric network data were collected from a typical respondent driven sample (RDS) of 528 people who inject drugs residing in Hartford, Connecticut in 2012–2013. This rich dataset enabled us to analyze a large number of unobserved network node...

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Main Authors: Li, Jianghong, Valente, T., Shin, H., Weeks, M., Zelenev, A., Moothi, G., Mosher, H., Heimer, R., Robles, E., Palmer, G., Obidoa, C.
Format: Journal Article
Published: Springer New York LLC 2017
Online Access:http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/55462
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author Li, Jianghong
Valente, T.
Shin, H.
Weeks, M.
Zelenev, A.
Moothi, G.
Mosher, H.
Heimer, R.
Robles, E.
Palmer, G.
Obidoa, C.
author_facet Li, Jianghong
Valente, T.
Shin, H.
Weeks, M.
Zelenev, A.
Moothi, G.
Mosher, H.
Heimer, R.
Robles, E.
Palmer, G.
Obidoa, C.
author_sort Li, Jianghong
building Curtin Institutional Repository
collection Online Access
description © 2017 Springer Science+Business Media, LLC Intensive sociometric network data were collected from a typical respondent driven sample (RDS) of 528 people who inject drugs residing in Hartford, Connecticut in 2012–2013. This rich dataset enabled us to analyze a large number of unobserved network nodes and ties for the purpose of assessing common assumptions underlying RDS estimators. Results show that several assumptions central to RDS estimators, such as random selection, enrollment probability proportional to degree, and recruitment occurring over recruiter’s network ties, were violated. These problems stem from an overly simplistic conceptualization of peer recruitment processes and dynamics. We found nearly half of participants were recruited via coupon redistribution on the street. Non-uniform patterns occurred in multiple recruitment stages related to both recruiter behavior (choosing and reaching alters, passing coupons, etc.) and recruit behavior (accepting/rejecting coupons, failing to enter study, passing coupons to others). Some factors associated with these patterns were also associated with HIV risk.
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institution Curtin University Malaysia
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last_indexed 2025-11-14T10:02:54Z
publishDate 2017
publisher Springer New York LLC
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spelling curtin-20.500.11937-554622017-09-13T16:09:44Z Overlooked Threats to Respondent Driven Sampling Estimators: Peer Recruitment Reality, Degree Measures, and Random Selection Assumption Li, Jianghong Valente, T. Shin, H. Weeks, M. Zelenev, A. Moothi, G. Mosher, H. Heimer, R. Robles, E. Palmer, G. Obidoa, C. © 2017 Springer Science+Business Media, LLC Intensive sociometric network data were collected from a typical respondent driven sample (RDS) of 528 people who inject drugs residing in Hartford, Connecticut in 2012–2013. This rich dataset enabled us to analyze a large number of unobserved network nodes and ties for the purpose of assessing common assumptions underlying RDS estimators. Results show that several assumptions central to RDS estimators, such as random selection, enrollment probability proportional to degree, and recruitment occurring over recruiter’s network ties, were violated. These problems stem from an overly simplistic conceptualization of peer recruitment processes and dynamics. We found nearly half of participants were recruited via coupon redistribution on the street. Non-uniform patterns occurred in multiple recruitment stages related to both recruiter behavior (choosing and reaching alters, passing coupons, etc.) and recruit behavior (accepting/rejecting coupons, failing to enter study, passing coupons to others). Some factors associated with these patterns were also associated with HIV risk. 2017 Journal Article http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/55462 10.1007/s10461-017-1827-1 Springer New York LLC restricted
spellingShingle Li, Jianghong
Valente, T.
Shin, H.
Weeks, M.
Zelenev, A.
Moothi, G.
Mosher, H.
Heimer, R.
Robles, E.
Palmer, G.
Obidoa, C.
Overlooked Threats to Respondent Driven Sampling Estimators: Peer Recruitment Reality, Degree Measures, and Random Selection Assumption
title Overlooked Threats to Respondent Driven Sampling Estimators: Peer Recruitment Reality, Degree Measures, and Random Selection Assumption
title_full Overlooked Threats to Respondent Driven Sampling Estimators: Peer Recruitment Reality, Degree Measures, and Random Selection Assumption
title_fullStr Overlooked Threats to Respondent Driven Sampling Estimators: Peer Recruitment Reality, Degree Measures, and Random Selection Assumption
title_full_unstemmed Overlooked Threats to Respondent Driven Sampling Estimators: Peer Recruitment Reality, Degree Measures, and Random Selection Assumption
title_short Overlooked Threats to Respondent Driven Sampling Estimators: Peer Recruitment Reality, Degree Measures, and Random Selection Assumption
title_sort overlooked threats to respondent driven sampling estimators: peer recruitment reality, degree measures, and random selection assumption
url http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/55462