Telephone Survey

Advantages

Several factors contribute to the popularity of surveys by telephone. First, the use of the telephone [Page 1117]is reinforced by social norms that “demand” a person answer a ringing telephone within 3 to 4 rings, and that the person calling (i.e., the interviewer) be the person to terminate a conversation. Second, telephone surveys are cheaper than those conducted face-to-face and cost about the same as mail surveys because of lower field and personnel costs. Third, the time it takes to complete a telephone survey and get the results to the researcher or sponsor is considerably less than for any other type of survey. In fact, “instant polls,” often used by political figures seeking a public's response to a policy proposal, can produce results within 24 hours of the first call. Fourth, CONFIDENTIALITY of respondent identity and response is enhanced because the telephone interviewers know fewer respondent identifiers, usually only a telephone number, than do interviewers in other surveys. Fifth, the effects of interviewer characteristics on response are less than those for face-to-face interviews because there is only voice contact, and the race or age of either interviewer or respondent is not generally identifiable. Therefore, telephone responses are less susceptible to socially desirable response patterns because of these physical features. Sixth, telephone surveys, particularly with the establishment of telephone centers that operate computer-assisted telephone interviewing (CATI), provide the opportunity for quality control over the entire data-gathering process because supervisors can provide immediate feedback to interviewers. In addition, these facilities almost always have the capacity for monitoring the interview via a satellite computer terminal. Seventh, coverage is no longer a problem because virtually 100% of households have telephone access, and RANDOM-DIGIT DIALING (RDD) procedures make it possible to access a telephone number without depending on a SAMPLING FRAME that lists addresses or names. Established techniques for sampling within households, such as the last/first birthday or household enumeration procedures, make it possible to continue the probability selection of a respondent. Finally, it is possible to ask questions on almost any given topic, sensitive or not. Because the telephone is such a standard means of communication, and because most countries can be characterized as “interview societies” where the interview, often by telephone, is the universal mechanism of inquiry, respondents are used to providing information to others, even to those they do not know.

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