There are multiple ways in which we can collect data and information from people. Among these we find all the techniques that involve the participation of interviewers. They play a relevant role as they are the ones who know the response capture instrument in depth. However, on some occasions the methodology of a study will require that there be no intermediary between the consumer and the questionnaire.
Self-administered interviews are designed in such a way that the same people who provide us with their experience can answer them without any assistance. This requires minimum skills and requirements so as not to increase biases or prevent its understanding for the majority of the population. For this reason, we list four common errors in the development and use of this type of instrument.
Little clarity. When Market Research experts plan information capture instruments, we can use some of our own technicalities or jargon that may be incomprehensible to other people. If we consider that ordinary people will have to fill out their answers in a questionnaire, it is essential that all the language and writing be as accessible and clear as possible.
Lack of instructions. Interviewers have a series of supports and reminders in many interviews to keep in mind all the instructions that were shared with them in the training. Although not all instructions may be visible to consumers, it is possible to consider some that support those who participate in our studies. The latter does not mean that there is no staff available to resolve specific doubts of the respondents.
Very large battery of answers. In very precise questions we will have the need to encode lists of data that may be possible solutions provided by the participants. However, sometimes this can be counterproductive because on slow teams or when faced with unforeseen responses, consumers can become frustrated and answer out of commitment without making sure if their answer is correct or not.
Long extension. In other posts on this blog we have stated that in many investigations we must do everything possible not to field lengthy questionnaires. We must remember that people have multiple occupations and their time availability is not unlimited. Although we offer incentives, if there are many questions presented or they seem to be repeated, respondents may fall into biases such as first response bias or lose interest in abandoning their participation.
We know that sometimes you have an already approved internal version of a self-administered questionnaire. In those cases it is well worth allowing information gathering experts to review it and make their suggestions for changes to the areas of opportunity detected. Otherwise, it is possible to make errors in the field survey that can be very difficult to correct later.
At Acertiva we have more than two decades of experience collecting people’s findings and analyzing this data to meet the needs of our clients. Thanks to our specialization in Latin America, we can be one of your strategic allies in Market Research in our region. Write to us today so that together we can make your next success story a reality.
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