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Computer-assisted personal interviewing (CAPI) is an interviewing technique in which the respondent or interviewer uses a computer to answer the questions. It is similar to computer-assisted telephone interviewing, except that the interview takes place in person instead of over the telephone. This method has been classified as a personal interview technique since an interviewer is usually present to serve as a host and to guide the respondent. If no interviewer is present, the term Computer-assisted self interviewing (CASI) may be used. An example of a situation in which CAPI is used as the method of data collection is the British Crime Survey.
Characteristics of this interviewing technique are:
- Either the respondent or an interviewer sits at a computer terminal and answers a questionnaire using the keyboard or mouse.
- Help screens and courteous error messages are provided.
- Colorful screens and on and off-screen stimuli can add to the respondent's interest and involvement in the task.
- This approach is used in shopping malls, preceded by the intercept and screening process.
- It is also used to conduct business-to-business research at trade shows or conventions.
Advantages
This form of interview is substantially cheaper when a large number of respondents is required, because
- There is no need to recruit or pay interviewers.
- There is no need to transcribe the results into a computer form. The computer program can be constructed so as to place the results directly in a format that can be read by statistical analysis programs such as PSPP or DAP.
- The program can be placed on a web site, potentially attracting a world-wide audience.
Disadvantages
- The survey is likely to attract only respondents who are "computer savvy", thus introducing potential bias to the survey.
- The survey can miss feedback, provide clarification/quality control that a personal interviewer could provide (ex. lots of respondents think the question asks one thing, when it actually asks another)
Computer-assisted self interviewing
The big difference between a computer-assisted self interview (CASI) and a computer-assisted personal interview is whether or not an interviewer is present. There are two kinds of computer-assisted self interviewing, namely a "video-CASI" and a "telephone-CASI". Video-CASI are often used to make a complex questionnaire more understandable for the person that is being interviewed. Audio-CASI has the same advantage, but could also reduce problems that interviewees have with literacy. Furthermore, both types have a big advantage over computer-assisted personal interviewing, because subjects are more inclined to answer sensitive questions. The reason for this is that they feel that a CASI is more privative.