title: Implementation of Audio-Computer Assisted Self-Interview (ACASI) among adolescent girls in humanitarian settings: feasibility, acceptability, and lessons learned.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Audio-Computer Assisted Self- Interview (ACASI) is a method of data collection in which participants listen to pre-recorded questions through headphones and respond to questions by selecting their answers on a touch screen or keypad, and is seen as advantageous for gathering data on sensitive topics such as experiences of violence. This paper seeks to explore the feasibility and acceptability of using ACASI with adolescent girls and to document the implementation of such an approach in two humanitarian settings: conflict-affected communities in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and refugee camps along the Sudan-Ethiopia border.
  
  
  METHODS
  This paper evaluates the feasibility and acceptability of implementing ACASI, based on the experiences of using this tool in baseline data collections for COMPASS (Creating Opportunities through Mentorship, Parental involvement, and Safe Spaces) impact evaluations in DRC (N= 868) and Ethiopia (N= 919) among adolescent girls. Descriptive statistics and logistic regression models were generated to examine associations between understanding of the survey and selected demographics in both countries.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Overall, nearly 90 % of girls in the DRC felt that the questions were easy to understand as compared to approximately 75 % in Ethiopia. Level of education, but not age, was associated with understanding of the survey in both countries.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Financial and time investment to ready ACASI was substantial in order to properly contextualize the approach to these specific humanitarian settings, including piloting of images, language assessments, and checking both written translations and corresponding verbal recordings. Despite challenges, we conclude that ACASI proved feasible and acceptable to participants and to data collection teams in two diverse humanitarian settings.
authors.affiliation: International Rescue Committee, 122 E 42nd St, New York City, NY 10168 USA.
authors.forename: Kathryn
authors.identifier: 0000-0001-8254-3364
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Falb
authors.affiliation: International Rescue Committee, 3 Bloomsbury Place, London, WC1A 2QL UK.
authors.forename: Sophie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Tanner
authors.affiliation: Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, 60 Haven Avenue, B-4, Suite 432, New York, NY 10032 USA.
authors.forename: Khudejha
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Asghar
authors.affiliation: Population Council, One Dag Hammarskjold Plaza, New York, NY 10017 USA.
authors.forename: Samir
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Souidi
authors.affiliation: Population Council, One Dag Hammarskjold Plaza, New York, NY 10017 USA.
authors.forename: Stan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mierzwa
authors.affiliation: International Rescue Committee, TK International Bldg. 6th Floor, Bole Rd, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
authors.forename: Asham
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Assazenew
authors.affiliation: International Rescue Committee, Bukavu, South-Kivu Democratic Republic of the Congo.
authors.forename: Theresita
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Bakomere
authors.affiliation: International Rescue Committee, Bukavu, South-Kivu Democratic Republic of the Congo.
authors.forename: Pamela
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Mallinga
authors.affiliation: International Rescue Committee, Bukavu, South-Kivu Democratic Republic of the Congo.
authors.forename: Katie
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Robinette
authors.affiliation: International Rescue Committee, TK International Bldg. 6th Floor, Bole Rd, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
authors.forename: Woinishet
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Tibebu
authors.affiliation: Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, 60 Haven Avenue, B-4, Suite 432, New York, NY 10032 USA.
authors.forename: Lindsay
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Stark
keywords: ACASI; DRC; Ethiopia; Gender; Girls; Humanitarian; Research methods; Self-interview; Tablets; Technology