Rapid Anthropological Assessment Procedures (RAP): Applications to the Measurement of Maternal and Child Mortality, Morbidity and Health Care

Rapid anthropological assessment procedures (RAP) have evolved as a form of shortcut anthropological techniques which complement quantitative data. RAP is suited for social scientists spending approximately six weeks in the field. The core of the RAP approach is guidelines or "shopping lists" which form the basis for both data collection and analysis. Data are collected through several techniques; formal interviewing, informal interviewing, conversations, observations, participant observations, focus groups, secondary data sources. The advantages and disadvantages of each technique are discussed. Comments are made on the complementarity of qualitative versus quantitative information. Constraints to the RAP approach are acknowledged and analysis is made of the use of RAP for understanding maternal and child mortality.