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Explore the differences between telephone and face-to-face interviews, including advantages and disadvantages, response rates, costs, and interviewer bias. Learn how each method impacts survey results and participant engagement.
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Survey DesignStat 472 Types of Surveys Telephone Interviews Face-to-Face Interviews
Telephone Interviews Advantages • It is a popular survey method because about 95% of the population can be reached by telephone • An interviewer calls a respondent (usually at home), asks questions, and records answers. • Researchers sample respondents from lists, telephone directories, or random digit dialing, and can quickly reach many people across long distances. • A staff of interviewers can interview 1,500 respondents across a nation within a few days and, with several callbacks, response rates can reach 90 percent.
It is more expensive than a mail questionnaire the telephone interview is a flexible method with most of the strengths of face-to-face interviews but for about half the cost. • Interviewers control the sequence of questions and can use some probes. • A specific respondent is chosen and is likely to answer all the questions alone • The researcher knows when the questions were answered and can use contingency questions effectively, especially with computer-assisted telephone interviewing (CATI) (to be discussed).
Disadvantages • Higher cost and limited interview length Respondents without telephones are impossible to reach • The call may come at an inconvenient time. • The use of an interviewer reduces anonymity and interviewer bias • Open-ended questions are difficult to use • questions requiring visual aids are impossible • Interviewers can only note serious disruptions (e.g., background noise) and respondent tone of voice (e.g., anger or flippancy) or hesitancy
Face-to-Face Interviews Advantages • Face-to-face interviews have thehighest response rates and permit the longestquestionnaires. • Interviewers also can observe the surroundings and can use nonverbal communication and visual aids • Well-trained interviewers can ask all types of questions, can ask complex questions, and can use extensive probes
Disadvantages • High cost is the biggest disadvantage of face-to-face interviews • The training, travel, supervision, and personnel costs for interviews can be high • Interviewer bias is also greatest in face-to-face interviews. The appearance, tone of voice, question wording, and so forth of the interviewer may affect the respondent • Interviewer supervision is less than for telephone interviews, which supervisors monitor by listening in.