Plan research in Madagascar.

Malagasy and French are official languages, with Malagasy essential for respondent coverage and French common in government, higher education and formal documents. Malagasy has regional varieties, so translation should be tested beyond Antananarivo. Back-translation should check whether technical French terms become clear Malagasy concepts in coastal, highland and southern settings.

Antananarivo is the main urban and administrative center, with Toamasina, Antsirabe, Mahajanga and Fianarantsoa anchoring regions. A large rural population is dispersed across highlands, coasts, dry south and forested east. National samples need province or region, urban-rural and ecological-zone allocation; targeted work should define rice, vanilla, mining, coastal or urban segments.

Mobile access is useful for phone surveys in towns and many corridors, while online surveys mainly reach urban connected respondents. Face-to-face work must account for cyclones, rainy-season road damage, long travel and areas reachable only by rough roads or boats. Health or conservation studies often need ethics and ministry permits. Fieldwork commonly takes four to six weeks nationally.

Fieldwork notes compiled from public sources by Surveysphere Africa; confirmed with our in-country partner before a study starts.