As the global health community springs into action to support the DRC’s government-led response, GeoPoll conducted a nationwide survey in the DRC to assess public awareness and concern about the mpox outbreak. The remote mobile phone-based survey addressed a number of topics related to the outbreak, including:

• Awareness of the mpox outbreak in the DRC
• Understanding of mpox transmission and symptoms
• Household and community mpox experience and risk
• Awareness of the mpox vaccine
• Intent to vaccinate for mpox and reasons for hesitancy
• Sources of mpox and public health information
• Assessment of the government’s reaction to the outbreak

Findings from the survey show that almost all respondents are aware of the current mpox outbreak in the DRC (92%), primarily hearing about it through social media. Most are also familiar with the symptoms and recommended prevention measures for the disease.

Vaccination presents a different story, however, with only 39% of respondents aware that an mpox vaccine is available, and only 35% likely to get the vaccine if it is. The primary drivers of hesitancy include uncertainty about the vaccine’s effectiveness, lack of knowledge/awareness, and potential health risks. Distrust of health facilities also presents an obstacle.

Click below to download GeoPoll’s full written report on the mpox outbreak in the DRC or scroll down to view the survey data in the interactive dashboard.

Interactive Data Dashboard

Dive deeper into GeoPoll’s data on the mpox outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo using the interactive dashboard below. The dashboard provides responses to each question in the survey, filterable by gender, age group, and province.

Collect Data During Humanitarian Crisis with GeoPoll

GeoPoll is a full-service market and social research agency that conducts surveys via computer- assisted telephone interviewing (CATI), computer-assisted personal interviewing (CAPI), short message service (SMS), WhatsApp, and mobile web/mobile application communications. We also conduct online and offline qualitative research.

GeoPoll regularly conducts international development and humanitarian aid research for United Nations agencies, NGOs, governments, humanitarian groups and other stakeholders in the development and relief sectors.

In times of crisis, GeoPoll’s mobile surveys can reach aid beneficiaries and vulnerable populations to collect vital data on food security, disaster relief, and more. Our remote research capabilities and innovative technology platform allow GeoPoll to survey communities that are inaccessible following natural disasters, conflict, or disease outbreaks, enabling organizations to gather on-the-ground insights in real-time and disseminate information quickly and safely.

For more information about GeoPoll and this report, contact us today.

The post GeoPoll Reports: Mpox Outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo appeared first on GeoPoll.

In this article, we go through each GeoPoll mobile survey mode, in summary, highlighting their best use cases and benefits.

Short Message Service (SMS/ text message)

SMS surveys are self-administered surveys sent to respondents one question at a time (see an example here). SMS surveys do not require respondents to have internet connectivity or airtime credit, and the survey invitation is received even if the phone is turned off or out of service range when sent. Respondents can also answer the questions at their leisure, ensuring privacy when taking surveys with sensitive questions.

Learn more about SMS surveys >>>

Computer-Assisted Telephone Interviewing (CATI)

CATI surveys are administered through experienced call center interviewers based in the country they are calling. GeoPoll interviewers undergo rigorous training for each project they administer and are overseen by dedicated in-market call center supervisors and GeoPoll’s senior team. GeoPoll’s proprietary mobile application for CATI interviewers facilitates interviewer flow, data collection, and interviewer oversight and can be utilized on any smartphone or tablet. Features of our CATI Application include offline mode, call recording, multi-lingual support, and more.

Learn more about live call interviews >>>

Computer-Assisted Personal Interviewing (CAPI)

Built on the same system as GeoPoll’s CATI application, GeoPoll’s CAPI application facilitates face-to-face data collection in the field, removing the need for paper questionnaires and manual data collation. The CAPI application does not require interviewers to have internet access when conducting surveys and provides interviewer metrics for overseeing projects.

Learn more about face to face interviews >>>

Interactive Voice Response (IVR)

IVR is a self-administered survey method in which pre-recorded voice surveys are initiated via phone call, and respondents key in answers on their dial-pad. IVR is useful for reaching illiterate populations through voice calls without training call center interviewers and can therefore send a mass amount of surveys at once through automated software.

Learn more about IVR >>>

Mobile Web

Mobile Web surveys are self-administered surveys requiring respondents to have internet-capable phones with an active WiFi or data connection. Respondents are sent an initial SMS message with a link to a survey, which drives respondents to their web browser to complete the survey. Mobile web surveys support GPS location, video/picture questions, and matrix/ table/ grid format questions.

Learn more about GeoPoll mobile links >>>

Mobile Application

Mobile app surveys require a smartphone, although the mobile application does allow for offline use. Respondents who download the GeoPoll mobile application are sent notifications to participate in surveys through GeoPoll’s mobile app. The mobile app includes, with respondent consent, additional capabilities such as GPS location, picture taking, and passive data collection.

Learn more about the GeoPoll App >>>

Focus Groups

GeoPoll can implement focus group research through mobile chat groups overseen by an experienced moderator. Focus groups allow for sharing video and picture content, structured discussions, and other tasks and can be maintained over a more extended time than in-person groups.

Learn more about MROCs >>>

WhatsApp Mode

WhatsApp is GeoPoll’s latest survey mode and one of the most robust owing to WhatsApp’s reach, affordability, and ability to conduct rich media surveys within an environment most respondents are familiar with. Surveys on WhatsApp can be longer and more complex than SMS, and we can use audio and visual stimuli, meaning we can send picture or video content for respondents to answer questions about and even get photos and recordings back from respondents.

Learn more about GeoPoll WhatsApp surveys >>>

Conduct mobile research in emerging markets

At GeoPoll, we have spent years studying how to best connect with survey respondents in emerging markets worldwide. Picking the correct mode for accomplishing your research goals is one of the most important decisions before data collection begins. Contact GeoPoll today to discuss what research mode is best for your project.

The post GeoPoll’s Mobile Survey Modes and How Each Works appeared first on GeoPoll.

Three common research methodologies are CAPI, CATI, and CAWI, which stand for Computer Assisted Personal Interviewing, Computer Assisted Telephone Interviewing, and Computer Assisted Web Interviewing. While these three methods have similar names and are often mentioned together, in practice they are very different methods, and each has unique characteristics which should be taken into account when deciding on a data collection method. Below we outline the major differences of CATI, CAPI, and CAWI, along with pros and cons of each method.

Computer Assisted Personal Interviewing (CAPI)

Computer Assisted Personal Interviewing or CAPI is an in-person or face-to-face research method in which interviewers use software on a computer or tablet to record interview responses. CAPI is an interviewer-administered mode, meaning that interviewers can clarify questions that may be unclear to respondents and ask follow-ups. It is generally considered an improvement on older face-to-face interview methodologies, in which interviewers relied on pen and paper to read through a questionnaire and record responses, because it reduces the chance of interviewer error and enables more secure storage of data. CAPI surveys support nearly any question type, both qualitative and quantitative, and interviewers can use visual and audio aids.

Because CAPI is an in-person research mode, it can reach anyone, even populations who do not have internet or phone access, which makes it a good solution for gathering data from low-income populations. However, CAPI requires interviewers to be trained in survey administration and for them to travel to each household they will interview. In emerging regions and rural areas where houses can be dispersed over a large area, this can make administering CAPI surveys time-consuming.

Pros of Computer Assisted Personal Interviewing:  

• Can reach any household or respondent, even those without internet or phone access
• Allows for interviewers to collect detailed data through follow-up questions and probing
• Improves on paper and pen survey administration by reducing the chance of interviewer error or data loss

Cons of Computer Assisted Personal Interviewing:  

• Requires interviewers to be recruited and trained in survey administration
• Can be time-consuming for interviewers to travel from household to household, especially in rural areas
• Can be costly due to the need for trained interviewers and the length of time it takes to collect data 

Computer Assisted Telephone Interviewing (CATI)

Computer Assisted Telephone Interviewing or CATI is a voice call interview method in which trained interviewers call respondents’ phone numbers, usually working from a central call center. CATI interviews are similar to CAPI interviews in that they are interviewer-administered, so interviewers can conduct similar probing and clarification of survey questions, and CATI software also allows interviewers to securely record responses and save data. CATI interviews support both qualitative and quantitative survey questions and can utilize audio aids as part of a questionnaire design.

CATI surveys can only reach populations with access to a landline or mobile phone, which means the lowest-income populations may not be reachable through a CATI survey. However, CATI is generally faster to administer than CAPI surveys and slightly lower cost, as interviewers work from a central location rather than traveling to conduct surveys in person.

Pros of Computer Assisted Telephone Interviewing:

• Allows for interviewers to collect detailed data through follow-up questions and probing
• Securely stores data and enables simple survey administration through CATI software
• Reaches wide segments of the population without having to overcome logistical hurdles associated with in-person research
• Interviews can be administered at the respondent’s convenience by scheduling a call-back time

Cons of Computer Assisted Telephone Interviewing:

• Requires interviewers to be recruited and trained in survey administration
• May not reach the lowest-income populations who do not have access to a mobile phone or landline

Computer Assisted Web Interviewing (CAWI)

Computer Assisted Web Interviewing or CAWI is another name for online surveys or interviews, which are surveys administered through a web browser or mobile application. Links for CAWI surveys can be sent through multiple methods, including email, mobile application notifications, online advertisements, and SMS messages. CAWI surveys support both closed-ended and open-ended survey questions, however may not provide as detailed qualitative data as an interviewer-administered mode such as CATI or CAPI.

CAWI surveys are useful for gathering quick insights from large sample sizes as they do not require interviewers to be trained and can be distributed very widely, but they are limited to populations who have internet access and are comfortable using computers or internet-enabled phones or tablets. CAWI surveys are also self-administered, meaning you rely on the respondent to fill in a survey accurately without the guidance of an interviewer, and that questionnaires generally need to be shorter for respondents to complete them.   

Pros of Computer Assisted Web Interviewing

• Simple to set-up and administer to large sample sizes
• Do not require the hiring and training of interviewers
• Can be a fast and low-cost method of data collection

Cons of Computer Assisted Web Interviewing

• Only reach literate populations and those with access to the internet and a computer or mobile device
• Qualitative data collection can be more limited than with interviewer-administered modes
• Questionnaires should be shorter to encourage higher completion rates

Choosing between CAPI, CATI, and CAWI

As outlined above, there are significant differences between CAPI, CATI, and CAWI survey modes. Generally, if you are looking to get the most representative survey possible, CAPI and CATI are the best options, but CAWI can be useful for quickly gathering insights on a consumer population or in countries which have high levels of internet access. When choosing a research mode, you must take into account the population you are trying to reach, questionnaire length and complexity, budget, and timeline. Use GeoPoll’s interactive research mode picker to get a quick view of what modes may be feasible for the project you are working on.

Depending on the country you are looking to research in, some modes may be more feasible than others, and talking to a research expert can help you narrow down your mode options. In addition to the three research modes mentioned here, there are other options such as SMS and Interactive Voice Response (IVR) which some research firms, such as GeoPoll, offer in addition to CAPI, CATI, and CAWI.

To speak to the GeoPoll team about which research mode is right for you, please contact us today.

The post CAPI, CATI, and CAWI Research Methods appeared first on GeoPoll.

In-person research is one of the oldest methods of data collection and remains popular today despite the high costs often associated with this methodology. Face-to-face methodologies are still used regularly in emerging regions such as those in Africa, Asia, and Latin America, where researchers looking to reach lower socioeconomic classes often turn to in-person interviewers.

However, the coronavirus outbreak has made in-person research impossible in many countries due to travel restrictions and lockdowns, and inadvisable in other regions due to the health risks associated with interviewers traveling door-to-door. In order to keep interviewers and their subjects safe, researchers must quickly find alternative ways to collect data, especially when that data can provide vital information on food availability, healthcare-seeking behaviors, and consumer perceptions.

Best Practices for Remote Data Collection

At GeoPoll we have been conducting research in emerging regions through remote, mobile-based methodologies since our launch in 2014. Our expertise in collecting data through modes including SMS, mobile web, and Computer-Assisted Telephone Interviewing (CATI) enables us to assist those looking to transition in-person projects to remote modes. Below are some of our tips for adapting in-person studies to remote methodologies:

Assess available research modes: Remote research modes that are commonly used in emerging regions include 2-way SMS, CATI voice calls, IVR calls, mobile web links, and mobile applications. While CATI call centers may not be able to continue to operate out of a central location in all countries, providers such as GeoPoll are already working on systems to allow interviewers to conduct calls from their own homes.

Consider the population you are reaching: While in-person modes can reach all socioeconomic classes, increased mobile penetration around the globe allows for remote research to be conducted. When looking to reach lower socioeconomic classes, voice call interviews conducted through CATI will provide the closest comparison to in-person research as they can reach illiterate populations. IVR may also be utilized, but often has low response rates and high costs.

Use a reputable sample provider: Unless you are reaching your own list of respondents, you will need to use a reputable sample provider to gather a representative sample. Firms including GeoPoll have pre-stratified databases of mobile respondents in many markets. We have also seen success using Random Digit Dialing methods in certain countries.

Adjust your survey design: Surveys designed for face-to-face administration will need to be adjusted for a remote methodology. SMS surveys must be designed with several factors in mind including character limits and overall questionnaire length, and mobile web questionnaires should also be on the short side to minimize drop-off rates. CATI surveys can be slightly longer, but researchers should still take length and survey structure into consideration.

Compensate respondents: As with in-person research, respondents should be compensated for their time. If messages are not zero-rated, researchers should also take into consideration the data costs associated with responding to a survey. GeoPoll has found that incentive amounts of $0.50 to $1.00 are sufficient in most markets, and can deposit incentives immediately upon survey completion through several methods including airtime and mobile money.

Work with a partner experienced in remote data collection: When administered with care, remote methodologies can collect data that is of equal quality to in-person research. However, to get the best results you should work with a research organization that has experience in best practices around study design, research modes, and sampling techniques for a remote study.

Conduct Remote Research with GeoPoll

GeoPoll’s team are experts in remote data collection methodologies and can help you transition in-person studies to remote, mobile-based methodologies quickly and effectively. To speak to a member of our team about your project, please contact us today.

The post How to Transition Face-to-Face to Remote Research Methodologies appeared first on GeoPoll.

Mobile web is a survey mode in which respondents engage with a questionnaire online through a mobile phone that has Internet connectivity, like a feature phone or a smartphone. Mobile web surveys can be dispatched to respondents through a few channels, such as email or online advertisements, but the channel that GeoPoll uses most often is SMS.

In this method, an SMS text message containing a web link and an invitation to participate in a survey is sent to potential respondents. Recipients of the invitations that click the web link are then automatically directed to a web page. On this page, users choose whether or not to opt-in for participation in the survey. Those who opt-in to participate are automatically routed through the online questionnaire and self-report answers along the way. When the survey is completed, GeoPoll provides an incentive to the survey respondent, most often in the form of airtime credit.

Like any other research mode, there are benefits and drawbacks to the mobile web mode of research. In this post, we explain the pros and cons of mobile web surveys with regard to how GeoPoll utilizes the mode most often in our projects.

Advantages of the mobile web survey mode

Capabilities

The advantages of mobile web as a survey mode surround capabilities and cost. Advanced question types—such as — can be used in mobile web questionnaires, as well as questions that include photo and video content.

These capabilities are important to consider when running a survey because they allow for more complex data to be collected. Matrix questions, for example, can provide a large amount of data to work with. Gathering the same amount of detailed information through another survey mode, like SMS, would require a large number of questions to be added to a survey—which would negatively impact completion rate and increase the costs of running a survey.

The capability to include photos and videos in a mobile web survey is also highly beneficial because the forms of media provide options for creativity. For example, a short video may be included at the beginning of a survey for respondents to watch; then the questionnaire can ask the respondents questions that are based on the video clip. This sort of survey design is useful for a company wanting to gather feedback on the ease of understanding of a new employee training video or an advertising agency seeking feedback on a television commercial. Beyond these examples, the benefits of the capability to include photos and videos in a mobile web survey are practically endless because they allow for more diverse use of a questionnaire than just text does.

Beyond these capabilities, mobile web surveys are not limited to character counts per question like SMS surveys. Questionnaire developers are often fans of the mobile web mode of research for this reason. In SMS surveys, each survey question is limited to 160 characters, meaning both a question’s text and answer choices need to be under 160 characters. This limitation of the SMS mode of research can be a challenge, which highlights the utility mobile-web as a survey mode.

Cost

Another perk that mobile web provides is lower costs than most other mobile-based research modes. With mobile web surveys, the costs are lower because SMS messages are used only to recruit participation in the survey. Each of the SMS messages used for recruitment of respondents has an associated cost, but once the respondent opts-in to participate in the survey there are no per-question costs. In contrast, each question and response in an SMS survey is an individual SMS message with an associated cost, and modes such as CATI require training live interviewers which can become costly.

Cost is often a factor considered most heavily when a study has a low budget and a goal of reaching a large sample size. In a case like this, mobile web is a good research mode option. However, with the lower cost comes more nuances to consider.

Drawbacks of the mobile web survey mode

Reach

Seeing as mobile web surveys take place online, respondents must have Internet connectivity to participate in the study. In certain areas of the world, this would not inhibit most people from participating in a survey; in other parts of the world, it does.

For many people, Internet connectivity is inaccessible due to high costs, lack of infrastructure, or both. This is especially true in the countries that GeoPoll specializes in, like rural and remote areas of sub-Saharan Africa. In most of SSA, only the upper classes are able to afford day-to-day Internet use, which may skew the socio-economic class distribution of respondents toward the more financially affluent end—or lower the rate of participation in the survey.

When to use mobile web surveys

Some projects have more rigid needs than others for equal distribution of respondents per socio-economic class. Every research study is different. At GeoPoll, we understand that every project is unique and we are committed to using our expertise in mobile-based research to guide our clients through key decisions to produce the most accurate insights possible. For more information on GeoPoll’s research modes, contact us today.

The post The Pros and Cons of Mobile Web Surveys appeared first on GeoPoll.