A personal interview by a specially trained interviewer using a laptop (CAPI) or palmtop, tablet or mobile phone (CAPI mobile). The interviewer presents an electronic questionnaire to a respondent. The questionnaire may be displayed both online and offline.
CAPI mobile interviews are conducted in shops and in the street surveys where the use of a laptop may be difficult or inconvenient. It is recommended for rather simple and short surveys, with fewer response options.
At ABR SESTA we use CADAS software, a versatile tool enabling surveys with a large number of screening and contingent questions while facilitating the interviewer’s work. Our mobile devices are equipped with GPS receivers additionally allowing for the control of the place and time of an interview, as well as enabling pictures to be taken using a built-in digital camera. Palmtops provide the possibility to scan the contents of respondents’ shopping baskets or fridges owing to a built-in barcode scanner.
CAPI method is often used in surveys which involve more advanced analytical techniques (Con-Joint, max Diff). CAPI enables the rotation of response options to be included in the questionnaire script; this method allows for conducting the entire interview with each respondent, but both questions and response options may be rotated.
Computer assisted personal interviews may be conducted in various places, including:
- at home – interview at the respondent’s home
- in the street – an interview in the street
- central location – an interview in specially arranged uniform conditions in a studio
- in store – an interview at the point of sale (e.g. at the shelf in a shop, at the ticket window)
- Entry – Exit – an interview before and after leaving a given facility
- Exit – Only – an interview after leaving a given facility
