Public Health Research Methods

Public Health Research Methods is a comprehensive collection of research methods used in the field of public health. This text is about providing researchers, and future researchers, with an up-to-date and comprehensive set of tools to investigate public health issues and problems, to ultimately better inform public health policy and practice. The contents of this book go beyond traditional epidemiologic approaches and cover the various research methods and technologies that are emerging in the new public health landscape.

Greg Guest received his Ph.D. in anthropology from the University of Georgia. Over the past 15 years, he has designed and managed public health research studies in more than 15 countries. Greg is currently the Director of Research and Evaluation in the Economic Development and Livelihoods department at FHI 360. In this capacity he oversees multisite, mixed methods, research and evaluation activities across multiple fields of public health. Guest′s other books include two edited volumes―Globalization, Health and the Environment: An Integrated Perspective (AltaMira, 2005) and Handbook for Team- Based Qualitative Research (AltaMira 2008)―and two co-authored monographs Applied Thematic Analysis (Sage 2012) and Collecting Qualitative Data: A Field Manual for Applied Research (Sage 2013). He′s published articles in journals such as Field Methods, Journal of Mixed Methods Research, American Journal of Public Health, JAIDS, AIDS Care, AIDS Education and Prevention, African Journal of AIDS Research, AIDS and Behavior, Journal of Family Planning and Reproductive Health Care and Journal of Health Communication. Guest is also owner of the research consulting firm Social Research Solutions, which specializes in methodological training and consultation (www.socialresearchsolutions.com).

Emily E. Namey, MA, has over 10 years’ experience applying her skills in project management and knowledge of research methods to the design, implementation, conduct, monitoring, and dissemination of public health research. Emily recently rejoined FHI 360, where she manages domestic and international qualitative and mixed methods projects related to health disparities and HIV prevention. Prior to her work at FHI 360, she spent over 5 years at Duke University, splitting time among the Institute for Genome Sciences and Policy, the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, and the Trent Center for Bioethics. At Duke, Emily implemented qualitative research on subjects ranging from maternity care to vaccine trial participation to ethical approaches to genomic research recruitment to the use and understanding of Certificates of Confidentiality. She has experience in the private sector as well, having completed projects at Intel Corporation and Nike, Inc. Emily has designed and led qualitative research training courses in more than a dozen countries and has co-authored several methodological publications, including Collecting Qualitative Data (Sage 2012), Applied Thematic Analysis (Sage 2012), Qualitative Research Methods: A Data Collector’s Field Guide (Family Health International, 2005) and “Data reduction techniques for large qualitative datasets” in Handbook for Team-based Qualitative Research (AltaMira 2008). Her publications also include articles in Social Science & Medicine, Fertility and Sterility, AIDS Care, IRB, and the Journal of Empirical Research on Human Research Ethics. Emily received her MA in applied anthropology from Northern Arizona University.