How Well Do Interviewers Record Responses to Numeric, Interviewer Field-code, and Open-ended Narrative Questions in Telephone Surveys

Bibliographic Data

ID7287705
AuthorsJolene D Smyth (0000-0001-8905-8804, University of Nebraska–Lincoln, corresponding author), K Olson (0000-0002-8004-0226, University of Nebraska–Lincoln)
Year2019
Volume32
Issue1
Pages89-104
Publication date2019-12-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueCAM (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1087-8513 • E-ISSN: 1552-3969
PublisherSAGE Publishing (PUBLISHER • US)
DOI10.1177/1525822x19888707
OpenAlexW2991012935
LanguageEN
Citations received1
References cited10

Telephone survey interviewers need to be able to accurately record answers to questions. While straightforward for closed questions, this task can be complicated for open questions. We examine interviewer recording accuracy rates from a national landline random digit dial telephone survey. We find that accuracy rates are over 90% for numeric response and interviewer-code, single-response items but are astonishingly low (49%) for a multiple-answer, nominal, interviewer-code item. Accuracy rates for narrative open questions were around 90% for themes but only about 70% for themes and elaborations. Interviewer behaviors (e.g., probing, feedback) are generally associated with lower accuracy rates. Implications for questionnaire design, interviewer training, and coding procedures are discussed

Code (set theory · Coding (social sciences · Comparability · Interview · Landline · Linguistics · Narrative · Phone · Statistics · Applied Psychology · Computer Science · Focus Groups and Qualitative Methods · Healthcare Systems and Technology · Mathematics · Psychology · Social Psychology · Survey Methodology and Nonresponse

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Open DOISci-HubOpen Access