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Their solution to this problem was to measure irritability in different ways, using different methods of data collection - a clear example of the multi-method approach to research. One method was based on self assessments of irritability. Each participant rated himself on a scale from 0, for not feeling any increased irritability, to 10, for experiencing extreme irritability. In addition, clinicians assessed levels of irritability based on responses given in semi-structured interviews with participants. Indicators of irritability included amounts of coffee and tea consumption, frequency of smoking, interruptions in normal sleeping patterns, the number of times the men hit children or wives, and incidences of breaking or throwing objects in anger. Increases in these variables over the course of Ramadan were taken as indicators of increased irritability. Assessment of irritability started one week before Ramadan, continued on a weekly basis during Ramadan, and ended one week after the conclusion of Ramadan. Not surprising, irritability increased during Ramadan, and far more for persons who smoked. Use of multiple indicators obtained by different research methods gives greater support for this conclusion than would have been true if only one set of data had been used. If the data were based only on the subjective, self assessment, social scientist might question the results. The same might be true if clinical assessments, which also contain a subjective element, were the only source of data. But when the two independent methods produced similar results, we can have greater confidence in the conclusion offered by Kadri and colleagues. Rapid rural appraisal Rapid rural appraisal is a multi-method way of collecting data quickly and at least cost, while seeking to obtain accurate, valid results. Rural development specialists developed RRA in response to the needs of officials responsible for rural development programs. These officials wanted trustworthy data quickly and inexpensively. Surveys, the traditional way of collecting data, generally took too long to complete and were too expensive. Also, decisions about a policy or program frequently had to be made before results from a survey would be available. Working with decision and policy-makers, researchers developed methods for rapidly assessing the impact of policies or programs. Because the techniques were developed and first applied in rural areas, the word "rural" was attached to the approach. "Appraisal" is used instead of evaluation or assessment because less precise methods of measurement are generally used. Today, the terms "participatory rural appraisal" (PRA) or "participatory assessment" are used along with RRA to reflect the fact that participation of local persons is a prominent feature of all rural assessment efforts. When we searched http://ww.google.com for Web sites dealing with RRA, we found over 15,000 sites. We selected 6 to get you started if case you want more information on this topic: The Community Toolbox: The Idea, Methods and Tools for Participatory Assessment, Monitoring and Evaluation in Community Forestry provides a comprehensive, detailed discussion of the idea of participatory assessment, monitoring and evaluation (PAME), methods used with this research technique, and descriptions and illustrations of tools used (meetings, posters, murals, story telling, etc.) Participatory Rural Appraisal contains a discussion of the key tenets of PRA, ways of conducting a PRA, references, and an illustration of natural resource management in Burkina Faso based on PRA Rapid Rural Appraisal, Chapter 8, prepared by the Food and Agricultural Organization, this sites provides a comprehensive discussion of RRA; including a definition and principals of rapid rural appraisals, field operation principals, and other points |