What can be more important for a company or a brand than knowing exactly what their customers need, like, or dislike? Data collection allows us to adjust the branding strategy and cater specifically to certain desires or issues. One of the ways to gather such data is, well, to ask. Yes, that’s easy. For example, an in-person interview is a valuable source of deep insights and even personality checks of a specific demographic or a group of people. But, is it efficient the way people are used to doing it?
Times change, and so do the data collection methods, or specifically our approach to them. Technology has penetrated every corner of our lives, and data surveys are no exception. CAPI now replaces the usual PAPI: where there was paper, now computers are introduced.
Let’s take a deeper look into how efficient technology is in the face-to-face survey, and it is worth a try.
What is CAPI?
CAPI stands for Computer Assisted Personal Interviewing and is simple by its nature. Instead of gathering data on paper questionnaires (PAPI), interviewers use computers or tablets to enter data into specific CAPI software.
Before conducting the fieldwork, a questionnaire needs to be created within the CAPI software, with the logic written in. One of the main advantages of such software is that it doesn’t require any coding experience to create questionnaires. Usually, it comes with pre-prepared templates, samples, and logic paths that anyone can choose, write in the questions, and deem the questionnaire complete.
How can CAPI software assist in In-person interviews?
The process
The popularity of CAPI software in face-to-face interviews can be easily explained by simply looking at how easier it is for the interviewer to conduct the interview while using such applications.
Data quality. Within the CAPI software, the human factor errors are practically impossible, making the data entered more reliable – which later benefits the brand. Computer-assisted personal interviewing applications perform logic checks, see to the skip patterns, and ensure that interviewers don’t miss questions or even ask the wrong ones.
Routing. Routing has been a source of a group of mistakes and difficulties in the process of conducting interviews. Interviewers failing to follow the right routing path has resulted in poor data quality, first of all, and a slow, ragged process overall. CAPI software like Checker, for instance, takes interviewers right to the next question, with consideration to the previous answer. Thus, you can build crazy complex questionnaires with difficult logic and always get reliable data from such a feature intact.
Availability. Some people argue that using CAPI software is now always feasible due to possible fieldwork in areas with little to no internet connection. However, most applications – and Checker is no different – allow for offline data entry that will be synchronized as soon as the connection is restored. Moreover, if the interviewer is online during the interview, the data is immediately uploaded to the database, meaning the team can already start processing it. Another thing that needs to be mentioned is that information collected by CAPI software can be easily accessible anywhere, anytime – given the proper accesses are granted.
Time-saving
The usual procedure for PAPI is collecting answers on paper questionnaires and then transferring everything manually to the database. It takes a lot of time and gives room for errors to creep in: any lack of attention can make the collected data completely unreliable. On the other hand, CAPI software allows entering data directly into a computer, eliminating any issues, and saving time, and thus – the money.
Calculations & Enumerators monitoring
Using the CAPI software, interviewers won’t need to conduct all the calculations manually – everything can be done directly within the app.
On the other hand, CAPI has a built-in function to monitor the enumerators: it can automatically record the interview’s start time, end time, and GPS location. Later, supervisors can easily check whether the interview was indeed conducted or not.
Looking for the best CAPI software?
There are many options to choose between, but there are some factors you need to consider. Here’s what to look for:
- Is there a function to capture different data types (numbers, text, pictures, audio)?
- Is there multilingual support?
- Is it easy to navigate through the questionnaire? Is there a possibility to create difficult logic?
- Is there a functionality to control data quality?
- Is there a way to manage tasks and accesses within the software?
Or, we can save you some time looking around – in Checker, the answer to all of these questions is “Yes”. Checker CAPI Survey software is a way to conduct your in-person interviews easily and with no data loss. While having all the benefits described earlier, the application is also fitted with action tools, allowing users to interact and leave comments inside the dashboard to drive immediate action based on the results displayed. Each step taken will also be recorded and updated seamlessly online.
Moreover, for companies providing the survey research services, the application can create customizable presentation dashboards for the end client. The data is automatically collected from the database and transformed into a branded, understandable charts that you can send to your client right away. Thus, save time and money on both collecting the data and presenting it!
