Computer-assisted personal interviewing

Computer-assisted personal interviewing (CAPI) is an interviewing technique in which the respondent or interviewer uses an electronic device to answer the questions. It is similar to <a href="/facts/Computer-assisted_telephone_interviewing/QYLWdumd">computer-assisted telephone interviewing</a>, except that the interview takes place in person instead of over the telephone. This method is usually preferred over a telephone interview when the questionnaire is long and complex. It has been classified as a personal interviewing technique because 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 <a href="/facts/Data_collection/rEGBdDzj">data collection</a> is the <a href="/facts/British_Crime_Survey/cd1cp06M">British Crime Survey</a>.
Characteristics of this interviewing technique are:

<ul><li>Either the respondent or an interviewer operates a device (this could be a laptop, a tablet or a smartphone) and answers a questionnaire.</li>
<li>The questionnaire is an application that takes the respondent through a set of questions using a pre-designed route based on answers given by the respondent.</li>
<li>Help screens and courteous error messages are provided.</li>
<li>Colorful screens and on and off-screen stimuli can add to the respondent's interest and involvement in the task.</li>
<li>This approach is used in shopping malls, preceded by the intercept and screening process.</li>
<li>CAPI is also used to interview households, using sampling techniques like random walk to get a fair representation of the area that needs to be interviewed.</li>
<li>It is also used to conduct business-to-business research at trade shows or conventions.</li></ul>

Computer-assisted personal interviewing open-in-new

Computer-assisted personal interviewing