Post Data Collection Thoughts

Some final thoughts on the process of collecting data:

Partners:

From doing one half of the survey with a partner, and the other half without, I think it is important that two people go to every neighborhood. While Toby and I did not encounter any problems on the UES while doing the survey, when I was in the Flatlands alone I was asked many times what I was doing and to stop using a video recorder.

Other Important Tools to Develop:

Some people wanted to know exactly what I was doing and why. I think that it would be helpful to develop a simple one-page explanation of the project with the primary researchers signatures on Hunter College stationary in order to quickly and succinctly explain to curious observers what we are doing.

Paper Recording vs. Electronic Recording of Data:

Using paper data collection was much less efficient than using an electronic data collector. I found the paper to be cumbersome and using the Flip Camera as well as recording each address was annoying and has a large potential to lead to errors in data collection. Using the electronic device last year was much more streamlined and not only saved time but ensured that each photograph was tagged to the address, which decreases the chance of a mix up.

Types of Advertisements:

Making a distinction between large corporation advertising (such as Kool Cigarettes giving every bodega in NYC the same sticker/poster) and small business advertisements (such as the words "cold beer" on an awning) is very important. I think that there is a huge difference between the two that is not clearly shown in the current data collection method.