CATI stands for Computer Assisted Telephone Interviewing. CATI is a common research mode in which interviewers conduct surveys via telephone calls using a computer-assisted method, such as a software system loaded onto a computer or mobile device. In the CATI survey method, interviewers (also called survey enumerators) use CATI software which guides them through a survey, records responses, and monitors response and completion rates, among other features. The CATI software or application houses the survey design, including the full questionnaire and related instructions, survey routing or logic, and all questions and answer options.

Benefits of CATI Survey Research

CATI improves on traditional voice call methods, which use a pen-and-paper system to review questions and record answers. Using a CATI application or software, data is securely stored, and interviewers can focus on the interview rather than other items such as survey routing. While each CATI software has unique features, general advantages of CATI software include:

• Performs survey routing automatically based on the inputted answer; If a respondent answers ‘yes’ to a specific question, the CATI software will automatically display the correct next question
• Inputs and uploads data to a central system automatically, removing the need for manual data input based on pen-and-paper questionnaires. This dramatically reduces data processing errors and time spent uploading data
• Stores questionnaires digitally, so they can be updated or changed on-the-fly if issues arise with question-wording or skip logic
• Automatically tracks survey production statistics, including response rates, completion rates, dropoff rates, and more
• Allows for remote oversight of interviewers through analytics, including total interview length, individual question length, and response patterns, which can be automatically fed into a quality assurance dashboard and monitored regularly
• Provides recordings of interviews which can be examined for further data quality checks
• Compared to other voice call research methods, such as Interactive Voice Response, CATI surveys are a closer alternative to face-to-face interviews. This is because they are interviewer-administered, allow for follow-up questions from the interviewer, and can gather qualitative data through open-ended questions.

Challenges of CATI Survey Research

Some challenges should be taken into consideration when embarking on a CATI research project. These include:

• Interviewers must be trained not only on the specific questionnaire but also on the CATI software they are using, as each can have a different flow and features
• If questionnaires are scripted incorrectly into the CATI software, interviewers may not notice and incorrectly administer surveys
• Open-ended answers still need to be typed into the CATI software, which can leave room for error when transcribing
• Depending on the CATI software, it may be difficult to modify previous answers as navigating backwards is more challenging than when using pen-and-paper questionnaires

While researchers must keep these challenges in mind, they can be mitigated through interviewer training programs and regular cross-checks of questionnaire scripting, among other quality control measures.

How CATI Research Works

The CATI research process may differ slightly based on the research group being used. When working with GeoPoll, who has an existing network of over 40 call centers located around the globe, the process for a new project typically follows these steps:

Phase 1: Concept and Initiation:In this phase, GeoPoll will discuss the project specifications with the client, conduct a feasibility assessment, decide on a sampling frame and sampling approach such as random digit dialing, and put together a budget based on the targeting, sample size, questionnaire length, and other considerations.  

Phase 2: Project Definition and Planning: Next, GeoPoll’s execution team will work with the client to design a questionnaire using best practices for CATI survey design, translate the questionnaire, and conduct extensive project-specific interviewer training. For some projects, GeoPoll will conduct a pilot that can be used as a quality check before the study goes into full production.

Phase 3: Survey Production and Monitoring:Once the planning is completed GeoPoll’s team will move a survey into the production phase. In this phase, phone numbers are generated or provided to interviewers who begin making live calls. Throughout survey production, survey data and analytics which demonstrate interviewer progress are regularly monitored to ensure the highest-quality outputs. Call recordings are also used for an additional level of quality assurance.

Phase 4: Data Analysis and Outputs:Once the data is collected and quality checks are undertaken, it is passed onto GeoPoll’s research team for analysis. The research team performs another round of quality checks and then prepares data in the desired output, including raw data files, written reports, excel tables, and more.   

CATI vs CAPI and CAWI 

One common question surrounding Computer Assisted Telephone Interviewing is how it compares to other modes. You can read this post to learn more about how CATI compares to IVR, an automated voice-call mode that does not use live interviewers. Other methods CATI can be compared to are CAPI, Computer Assisted Personal Interviewing, and CAWI, Computer Assisted Web Interviewing. CAPI is a face-to-face research mode which, similarly to CATI, is aided by a software system that enables the interviewer to view questions and be automatically routed through a survey.

Many of the benefits listed above for CATI apply to CAPI surveys. Using CAPI instead of a pen-and-paper method reduces data input errors and allows for remote oversight of interviewers when they are in the field, often showing where they are through GPS and tracking metrics such as length of the interview. A benefit of CAPI over CATI is that you can reach a wider population, as CAPI does not require respondents to have mobile phones. However, CAPI surveys can take a long time to conduct as interviewers need to travel from house to house to gather survey responses.a

Computer Assisted Web Interviewing is another name for link-based or online surveys. These surveys are opened by respondents in a web page, who complete the questionnaire themselves. CAWI surveys are self-administered, so do not allow for the type of follow-ups that CATI provides for, and only reach those with an internet connection. Benefits of CAWI or any online survey mode are the speed at which a large group of respondents can be surveyed, and the relatively low cost.

CATI Software in Africa, Asia, and Latin America 

GeoPoll conducts CATI surveys out of over 40 call centers we operate throughout Africa, Asia, and Latin America, using our own proprietary CATI application. GeoPoll’s CATI software application was built specifically for use in countries in Africa, Asia, and Latin America. It has features including an offline mode, call recording, built-in quality checks, multi-lingual capabilities, and more. To learn more about GeoPoll’s CATI services or run your own CATI survey through GeoPoll, please contact us today.

The post CATI Surveys in Market Research | Computer Assisted Telephone Interviewing appeared first on GeoPoll.

Accurate and timely data collection is an essential part of

Data collection in the Sahel can help international and humanitarian organizations understand the repercussions of climate or political changes in the region and mitigate the impact on the people of the Sahel. Additionally, access to accurate on-the-ground data is a proven part of early warning systems. GeoPoll has extensive experience conducting research in vulnerable areas through mobile-based methodologies, and below we review the challenges and opportunities for conducting research in the Sahel.  

The need for accurate data collection in the Sahel

Accurate data collection is an essential part of monitoring and predicting problems as well as providing quick and targeted aid. Families in the Sahel are vulnerable to food insecurity and malnutrition, worsened by the region’s history of droughts and climate change. USAID, in collaboration with Save the Children, has demonstrated the value of a data-based early warning system in the Sahel. Since 2013, these organizations have been conducting a Household Economy Analysis (HEA) on food security. Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger, and Senegal have all used the data to help crisis or conflict-affected families. In 2015, HEA data allowed more than 14.8 million people to be provided with support like seasonal safety nets or livelihoods, demonstrating how data collection in the Sahel can build resilience within the region. 

Challenges of data collection in the Sahel

While conducting research in the Sahel is essential, it can be challenging because of the infrastructure, conflict, and cultural context. Some  challenges of conducting research in Africa and specifically the Sahel include: 

• Infrastructure: The Sahel has infrastructure challenges such as unmapped areas, inadequate roads, unreliable energy services or lack of access to clean water that can make data collection in the Sahel a challenge. Face-to-face research is particularly affected by infrastructure, which is why GeoPoll often uses alternative methodologies to reach respondents. 
• Violence and Conflict: Some countries in the Sahel experience conflict, social disruption, or are vulnerable to violent extremism and terrorist attacks. This not only makes fact-to-face research dangerous, but disrupts the lives, internet access, and location of populations. 
• Number of languages and Cultural Context: Because the Sahel spans ten different countries, this region requires specialized experience with language and understanding of each local culture. GeoPoll’s voice call interviewers are carefully selected for their geographic location, language skills, and local knowledge.
• Low Population Concentration: Many areas in the Sahel have very low population density – the desert areas of Mali and Niger, for example, experience populations of just 20 people per square meter. In addition to the infrastructure challenges mentioned above, this contributes to the difficulty of conducting in-person research efficiently.

How to conduct CATI research in the Sahel

Collecting data in the Sahel can be challenging, but GeoPoll has had success with using the Computer Assisted Telephone Interview (CATI) research method for remote data collection in multiple locations. GeoPoll has extensive experience launching CATI centers and quickly training interviewers who represent a variety of backgrounds and languages.

We currently operate call centers throughout Africa, including those in the Sahel countries of Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Chad, Mali, Niger, and Nigeria. Additional call centers are located in Botswana, Central African Republic, Cote D’Ivoire, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya (from which we conduct interviews in Somalia), Liberia, Namibia, and South Africa. By using CATI, GeoPoll has been able to overcome the challenges of collecting data in areas where displacement and conflict are common, and infrastructure and other factors prohibit in-person research.    

Benefits of Conducting CATI Research with GeoPoll

GeoPoll can recruit interviewers and launch call centers in just weeks. Our proprietary CATI application allows us to manage the survey process from end-to-end, with features including: 

• Full control over question scripting, including multiple logic questions, skip logic, and randomization that allows for complex and customized surveys
• Questions displayed via a simple interface that streamlines the survey process. 
• Secure data storage and offline capabilities
• Immediate access to results
• Survey progress tracked in real time to ensure high-quality data 

GeoPoll is currently collecting data in the Sahel region and can set up any research project quickly. Contact us to request more information on our capabilities in the Sahel. 

The post Data Collection in the Sahel appeared first on GeoPoll.

Similarities between IVR and CATI Research Modes

IVR and CATI are modes most often used to collect survey data, and they both leverage voice calls to collect responses from survey respondents. Voice calls are preferable to other phone-based research modes such as text message in certain circumstances, such as when the target population has high illiteracy rates, as is often the case in rural areas. Respondents for either mode may be recruited through a research company such as GeoPoll, a pre-identified list of beneficiaries or customers, or by random digit dialing, in which phone numbers are randomly generated in order to gather respondents from a wide area.

IVR and CATI surveys both start with a phone call to the respondent’s phone number that they must answer in order to take part in a survey, and this is followed by a series of questions that the respondent must answer. However, the two modes start to diverge once the respondent picks up the phone and starts answering questions.

Differences between IVR and CATI Research Modes

The biggest difference between Interactive Voice Response and Computer-Assisted Telephone Interviewing is that IVR methods rely on a pre-recorded voice recording to ask questions to respondents, while CATI requires trained interviewers to make live calls to respondents. In IVR, respondents must key in or speak answers to an automated system, similar to the ones commonly used when calling customer service hotlines. After each question, a new pre-recorded segment is relayed to the respondent until the survey is completed.

In the CATI research mode, interviewers make calls themselves, and they are the ones noting down the respondents’ answers and reading the next question from a script. CATI interviewers use specialized software to dial phone numbers, record the answers they are given, and read the next question based on any skip logic that is included. Because they are administering surveys themselves, CATI interviewers must be trained, and they often operate out of a physical call center that has to be maintained, neither of which is needed for IVR calls.

Due to the ways in which surveys are administered in IVR and CATI modes, there are also large differences in the number of respondents each can reach in a set period of time. Automated IVR software makes it a good mode for calling very large sample sizes, while CATI requires live interviewers, and cannot accomplish the same number of calls in the same time period without a huge number of interviewers. Because of the costs required to train and host CATI interviewers, it is often assumed that CATI is much more expensive than IVR. This can be the case, however, it is important to note that IVR often has very low response rates, and the cost of airtime to make enough calls to get the desired number of completed surveys can add up quickly. Below are some pros and cons of IVR and CATI to consider:

Pros of Interactive Voice Response (IVR)

• Can reach large sample sizes quickly
• Can be more cost-effective than other voice-call modes
• Can reach illiterate populations
• No need to train interviewers

Cons of Interactive Voice Response (IVR)

• Low response rates may lead to longer timelines and higher costs
• The respondent must pick-up when the call is administered
• Restrictions on what types of questions can be asked due to recorded nature
• Long surveys are difficult to administer due to high drop-off rates

Pros of Computer Assisted Telephone Interviewing

• Can reach illiterate populations
• Longer surveys can be administered due to higher engagement levels with an interviewer
• Can ask open-ended questions to gather qualitative data when needed
• Interviewers can offer to call respondents back at more convenient times
• Can use multiple interviewers (for example, male and female, or with different dialects) in order to reach all demographic groups

Cons of Computer Assisted Telephone Interviewing 

• Requires interviewer recruiting and training by yourself or through a research agency
• Costs can be high due to the need for interviewers and call center space
• The volume of calls made in a time period depends on the number of interviewers hired

Conduct Voice Call Surveys with GeoPoll

GeoPoll conducts voice calls surveys through CATI, using our own CATI software, trained interviewers, and call centers, and can also conduct surveys via IVR. Leverage our database of respondents throughout the world and expertise in conducting voice call surveys by contacting us for your next research project.

The post Interactive Voice Response vs Computer Assisted Telephone Interviewing for Survey Research appeared first on GeoPoll.

Jeremy Bowles (PhD student in Government at Harvard University) and Horacio Larreguy (Associate Professor of Government at Harvard University) are conducting a study in partnership with GeoPoll using CATI to understand how perceptions of candidates to the Liberian House of Representatives are affected by a series of debates held ahead of the October 10 general election. What is CATI and what are the best practices in CATI project implementation?

The study is conducted in partnership with United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the USAID-funded Internews Liberia Media Development (LMD) project, and NORC at the University of Chicago, an objective non-partisan research institution. Through a baseline and end-line survey across all 73 electoral districts in Liberia, GeoPoll is administering a survey through computer-assisted telephone interviewing (CATI) that tracks perceptions of district-level candidates before and after the 2017 general election.

What is CATI?
CATI is a method of mobile data collection through which live enumerators call a respondent on their mobile phone and administer the survey live with the respondent. The study leaders and GeoPoll determined CATI as the preferred mobile data collection method due to logistical and financial conditions that did not allow for an in-person survey, concerns that an SMS survey would limit the length of the survey, and the politically-sensitive nature of the questions. 

How do we decide on CATI?
During the design stage of any project, GeoPoll works with its project partners to assess which mode is most appropriate for the project’s end goal. CATI is frequently advantageous in situations where the target beneficiary group may be illiterate, or when the survey covers a complex or sensitive topic.

CATI Best Practices
Launching the CATI center in Liberia for this project highlights several best practices in CATI project implementation, especially on projects aimed at reaching hard-to-reach populations: 

1. Understand the mode most appropriate for the target beneficiary population at the design stage. In instances where the survey covers complex or sensitive topics, a live call survey method may encourage a higher response rate than another method of mobile survey data collection.
2. For a location-based study, understand how to reach respondents at their verified specific location. This project aims to reach respondents at a very specific location – their electoral district – which was not pre-identifiable in the GeoPoll database. Through a survey design that includes routing CATI enumerators to a list of possible electoral districts per county, GeoPoll was able to locate users at this specific sub-location to assure that the candidate they were referencing was that respondent’s district candidate.
3. In survey design, understand how the target population will interpret political questions. For instance, what type of voting information will respondents have on hand? Will respondents know their voting center or candidate names? This information is necessary to ensure respondents’ ability to answer questions accurately.

Project Implementation
To implement the Liberia Candidate Debates survey, GeoPoll set up a CATI calling center specifically for the project.  Steps GeoPoll took to set up the CATI center included: 

1. GeoPoll hired approximately 25 Liberian enumerators and call managers. Local enumerators are important in CATI so that calls are done in the local language and dialect;
2. GeoPoll CATI implementation specialists traveled to Monrovia to train the local enumerators and set up data collection and quality control systems;
3. Utilizing the GeoPoll database, which has more than 1 million mobile phone users in Liberia, enumerators called up to 300 phone numbers per day, which were pre-stratified by county in Liberia. The respondent’s particular electoral district within that county was then confirmed through questions in the survey;
4. The baseline survey assessed respondents’ levels of political information, knowledge of particular political topics, preferences over policy issues in the local district, and voting intentions. Respondents were asked if they had listened to the district-level candidate debates, what the most important issue was in their district, and which Representative running in their district they planned to vote for. As with all GeoPoll surveys, all answers to the survey are confidential. These perceptions will be compared to the results of a post-survey after the election.

GeoPoll completed the baseline survey of nearly 5,000 respondents prior to the election; the end-line survey is currently under way. Watch for future installments of this blog post series to see the later stages of the project.

The post Tracking Perceptions of District-Level Candidates in Liberia through Computer-Assisted Telephone Interviewing (CATI) appeared first on GeoPoll.