Field Methods and Data Issues

As methods developers and data analysts, we often see data long after they have been collected. In some instances, no amount of clever analysis can retrieve a study that has fallen foul of poor field methods. In this chapter, we define what is meant by 'poor field methods', and by contrast, what constitutes 'good' field methods; and we describe means by which 'poor' field methods can be diagnosed and remedied before data collection is completed.