Survey By Interviewer: Face To Face

[Description] [Pros] [Cons] [Common Uses] [Resources]

Description

A trained interviewer asks survey questions of respondents. Allows respondent to ask for clarification and allows interviewer to control question sequence. One-on-one, in-person interview is used to collect information on knowledge, attitudes, and/or behaviors.

Pros

  • Generalizable results (if sufficiently large, probability sample with high response rate)
  • Appropriate for those of lower literacy
  • Useful with difficult-to-reach populations (e.g. homeless, low literacy) or when target audience cannot be sampled by using other data collection methods.
  • Interview available to clarify questions for respondent and probe answers
  • Decreased likelihood of incomplete questionnaires

Cons

  • Can be more labor intensive than self-administered or telephone data collection
  • Less appropriate for sensitive or threatening questions (respondents may not answer truthfully in person)

Common Uses

  • Obtain baseline data
  • Determine message's reach, attention-getting ability
  • Acquire self-reported information on behaviors, behavioral intentions, attitudes
  • Test knowledge, comprehension

Resources

See a survey form used to question individuals about their reactions to public service announcements during the message testing phase of an H.pylori campaign. Face-to-Face_Survey.pdf

Examples of mall intercept surveys: Intercept_Guide1.pdf and Intercept_Guide2.pdf