Cognitive mapping: using local knowledge for planning health research

BMC Medical Research Methodology

Sinead Delany-Moretlwe¹  Catherine MacPhail¹  Emilie Venables¹  Charles Dugmore²  Jonathan Stadler¹ 

[1] Wits Reproductive Health and HIV Institute, School of Clinical Medicine, Witwatersrand University, PO Box 18512, Hillbrow, Johannesburg, 2038, South Africa;Witwatersrand University History Workshop, 1 Jan Smuts Avenue, Braamfontein, Johannesburg, 2000, South Africa

关键词: Community;    Orange farm;    Hillbrow;    South Africa;    HIV prevention;    Clinical trials;    Cognitive mapping;   

Others  :  1092170
DOI  :  10.1186/1471-2288-13-96

 received in 2013-03-09, accepted in 2013-07-24,  发布年份 2013

【 摘 要 】

Background

Cognitive mapping is a participatory research methodology that documents, in visual form, a construct of the local environment in which people live and work. We adapted this method to provide detailed data about study locales to inform recruitment and retention strategies for HIV prevention community based clinical trials.

Methods

Four cognitive mapping studies were undertaken between 2005 and 2010, in and around Johannesburg in Orange Farm, and Hillbrow. Participants included members of clinical trial Community Advisory Boards (CAB), young people recruited from schools in Hillbrow and an organization for out of school youth, and men recruited from a database of men in the community interested in taking part in research. These groups participated in reconnaissance walks and in depth interviews, and drew detailed sketch maps.

Results

The cognitive maps defined the physical boundaries of the research locales, provided insights into their social histories, and identified important characteristics of the population such as movement, social and sexual networks, ethnic and other divisions. Important differences between the official cartographic maps and the cognitive maps were raised. The mapping data was applied by identifying key areas for recruitment that recruitment staff members were less familiar with and that may otherwise have been overlooked.

Conclusions

Cognitive mapping is an effective, rapid and low cost method that can be used to inform recruitment and retention strategies for community-based clinical trial research. The method also provides a means for clinical trial researchers to involve the local community in research and to familiarise them with the social setting.

【 授权许可】

   
2013 Stadler et al.; licensee BioMed Central Ltd.

【 图 表 】

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