| CATI / CAPI |
CATI (Computer Assisted Telephone Interview)
CATI replaces paper questionnaires by a computer where the interviewer follows a script and all questions and routing are programmed in advance.
The interviewer asks questions on the phone and records answers on the computer either by typing them and/or selecting answers from pre-defined lists.
CATI automates the calling of interviewees, the recall in case of unavailability and manages quotas.
Interviewer ...
- Starts the questionnaire script and the CATI system dials a telephone number.
- Reads out the questions over the phone and records the answers.
- Is less prone to errors as the script will validate the answers given.
- Will not ask questions which are not relevant to certain participants as the software will skip questions based on previous answers.
- Will have the help of 'on screen instructions'.
Advantages
- Helpful where questionnaires are very complex as it reduces interviewers' errors.
- It requires shorter time to administer and a greater number of interviews can be conducted per day.
- Quick results - statistics are available straight away as percentages, graphics, etc.
- Data is available for download in a variety of formats.
- Validation checks & on screen error messages.
- No geographical constraint: CATI applies well to the broad geographic zones.
- Technical reliability.
- Interviewer will be able to assign a time for callbacks.
- Management of quotas
- Improved productivity which will result in lower project costs
Limits
- Some target cannot be reached by CATI.
- No visualization possibility.
- Certain sensitive subjects must be avoided.
CAPI (Computer Assisted Personal Interview)
Rather than using a paper questionnaire, interviewers carry laptops from which questions are read out and responses to the survey questions are entered. The data is then transmitted back to the field centre via modem
CAPI (Computer Assisted Personal Interviewing) is used when administering a questionnaire face-to-face. The interviewer reads questions from the screen (which the respondent cannot usually see) and responses are typed in to designated fields.
The interviewer uses his laptop screen to read the questions and input the answers. The computer loads the questionnaire script, which automates coherence, the answers' redirection and the quota management.
Advantages
- All types of questions can be used
- Material can be shown to the respondent
- Questionnaires can be very complex (routing, validation, ...)
- Posibility of validating the data as it is entered
- Data is available for analysis as soon as the interviews are finished
- Some cost savings:
- All data entry is done at the time of the interview
- Results are obtained very quickly
- No printing costs
Limits
- Strong geographical constraint. The CAPI is more adapted to reduced geographical areas
- Some heavy cost (interviewers, laptops, ...)