When conducting quantitative surveys, we use both paper questionnaires (PAPI - Paper Assisted Personal Interview i.e. paper questionnaires) and on tablets (CAPI - Computer Assisted Personal Interview). Paper questionnaires are usually a little cheaper, but in some cases it is more expedient and more convenient to solve research problems using CAPI. CAPI is also often useful if you need to show a video or some illustrations to the respondent during an interview. Another advantage of CAPI is that there is no need to enter completed questionnaires into a computer for subsequent analysis, because this happens automatically during the interview. Accordingly, the possibility of input errors disappears. Mobile Internet makes it possible to achieve instant entry of each completed questionnaire into a central database (for example, for visual monitoring of the progress of the survey or for preliminary analysis by our specialists). The next important “advantage” of using tablets is the ability to determine geolocation (thanks to GPS modules, the location of the interviewer during the survey is determined down to the street and house number) when filling out questionnaires. This also makes it possible to remotely monitor the work of interviewers, which affects the transparency of the “field” stage procedure and the reliability of the data obtained.
The development of new technologies allows us to confidently say that paper questionnaires are being replaced by mobile electronic devices. The use of tablets when conducting quantitative surveys takes the quality of information collection to a new level, which makes it possible to increase the reliability of the results and make research work more open. Such changes cannot be encouraging, because... Outside the window is the 21st century, the time of technology, and therefore applied research is developing, keeping up with the times!
Advantages | Disadvantages | |
at the respondent’s home or a household survey | Long duration of the questionnaire (up to an hour) Familiar environment for the respondent Ability to interview several people living together at once If random sampling technology is followed (route sampling, Kish map), representativeness of respondents to the target audience of the study can be ensured | Requires large material and time costs Not all people are ready to let an unfamiliar interviewer into their home/apartment |
in crowded places, targeted audience surveys (most often this is a consumer survey) | It is easier to select people who meet the selection criteria for interviews Usually requires less material and time investment than other types of personal interviews By following random sampling technology, representativeness of respondents to the target audience of the study can be ensured | The questionnaire should not exceed 15 minutes As a rule, the use of visual materials is limited (unless they are objects located at the survey sites: billboards in the subway, a shelf with products in a store, etc.) Depending on the specific location of the survey, additional permissions may be required (from the administration in the case of surveys in stores, business centers, etc.) |
At the workplace |
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Telephone interviews | transparency of all stages of the telephone survey; low cost compared to other quantitative survey methods; efficiency, the ability to reach a large number of respondents in a fairly short time; 100% audio recording of telephone interviews. | It is not always possible to ensure that the interviewee meets the selection criteria (for example, by age). The duration of the interview is limited to 20-25 minutes |