title: Cognitive mapping: using local knowledge for planning health research.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Wits Reproductive Health and HIV Institute, School of Clinical Medicine, Witwatersrand University, PO Box 18512, Hillbrow, Johannesburg, 2038, South Africa. jstadler@wrhi.ac.za
authors.forename: Jonathan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Stadler
authors.forename: Charles
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Dugmore
authors.forename: Emilie
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Venables
authors.forename: Catherine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: MacPhail
authors.forename: Sinead
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Delany-Moretlwe
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic / Q000379:methods*; D055812:Community-Based Participatory Research / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000517:prevention & control*; D006285:Health Planning; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D018579:Patient Selection; D012111:Residence Characteristics; D012931:Social Environment; D055815:Young Adult
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