CHAPTER THREE: RESEARCH METHODOLOGY 3.0 Introduction The research aims to bring out issues and challenges in Birth Registration in Zimbabwe, document lessons learned and make recommendations for future interventions. The processes and methods used in the research are detailed below. 3.1 Research Methods A participatory research approach was used in the research. The participatory process sought to elicit qualitative responses from target Respondents such as the communities, stakeholders, leaders, key informants and significant others in the social environment. The participatory approach ensured community engagement, knowledge and experience sharing at various levels. The research tools used in data collection were: • Semi-structured discussions • Focus group discussions These tools were used during group meetings and community dialogues with key informants and with other relevant stakeholders also used one-on-one interviews to interface with local opinion leaders, business people, councillors, youth leaders and politicians to triangulate data collected. The researchers also interviewed young boys and girls to get their views. However, the major survey techniques used were as semistructured discussions (SSDs) and focus group discussions (FGDs), which were employed to triangulate and validate the data. The researchers also held one-on-one interviews with key people, such as district level RG officials, headmasters, Chiefs and staff from other NGOs, among other stakeholders. The researchers carried out the research by visiting suburbs, communities, households and schools, meeting relevant stakeholders, including the parents and guardians of unregistered children. Over and above community meetings and other individual interviews with community leaders, households and children were selected so as to document case histories in birth registration. 3.2 Research Scope The research scope was to conduct the research in two provinces of Mashonaland West and Mashonaland Central. In the two provinces, two districts were sampled, namely Bindura and Hurungwe. The village and household samples was derived from communities and residential areas in these two districts. 3.3 Research Sample Purposive sampling was used to draw up the research sample. The researchers covered 2 provinces, namely, Mashonaland West and Mashonaland Central. In each of the two Birth Registration Research Report/2007 28