Face-to-Face Interviews: The Time-Consuming Survey Method
Which method for administering a survey requires the greatest amount of time?
a) Face-to-face interviews
b) Telephone interviews
c) Mail surveys
d) Online surveys
Final answer: Face-to-face interviews are the most time-consuming survey method due to the need for meticulous planning, travel to various locations, and repeated attempts to contact respondents.
Answer:
The method for administering a survey that requires the greatest amount of time is a) Face-to-face interviews.
Face-to-face interviews involve logistical challenges such as randomly selecting households or polling locations, ensuring representativeness, and often requiring multiple attempts to reach a respondent. Organizations like Gallup may use this method in areas where a significant portion of households do not have phones, to obtain a more representative sample. This method is also used for exit polls and focus groups.
In contrast, online surveys, mail surveys, and telephone interviews, including those utilizing computer-assisted telephone interviewing (CATI) systems, tend to be more time-efficient and have streamlined the data collection process significantly.
Despite the time-consuming nature of face-to-face interviews, they offer invaluable insights and personal connections that may not be achieved through other survey methods. The effort put into conducting these interviews can lead to richer and more nuanced data, making them worth the investment for organizations seeking in-depth feedback.