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Survey Research Program Interviewing Staff
New interviewers receive 12 hours of classroom and hands-on
computer-assisted telephone interviewing (CATI) training. Four hours are on general interviewing techniques, followed by
eight hours on the use of the Computer-Assisted Survey Execution System (CASES). This eight hours focuses on
CASES technology while reinforcing the general interviewing techniques.
The interviewers must then perform a series of scripted interviews,
proving their ability to handle a wide array of responses that typically
occur in the course of telephone interviewing.
Interviewers also receive additional, project-specific training. This
involves extensive review of the materials, project-specific procedures,
and item-by-item specifications for the questionnaire. Project trainings
are eight hours for a standard project, 12 hours for complex studies.
Investigator(s) and coordinators from the study team also participate in
part of the training to provide an overview of the entire project.
After training, interviewers must prove their competency by
administering a standardized interview without errors. The interview is
administered to a lead interviewer playing the role of a respondent. The
lead interviewer then meets with the interviewer to review the
interviewer's performance. Interviewers' phone performance, productivity,
and response rates are routinely monitored; corrective or remedial
training is provided if necessary. Interview quality is continuously
assessed in a variety of ways: Performance is monitored using silent
monitors installed on all telephones; interviewers receive written
feedback on errors, as well as corrective instruction.
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