Workshop on Census Cartography and Management

Port-of-Spain, Trinidad & Tobago, 22-26 October 2007

Computer Assisted Personal Interviewing

(CAPI)
-The Bermuda Experience

Bermuda Department of Statistics

Computer Assisted Personal
Interviewing
 Introduction
 Computer Assisted Personal Interview
(CAPI) method
 Pilot tested during 2004 Household
Expenditure Survey (HES)
 Use of Personal Digital Assistant (PDA)
Computer Assisted Personal
Interviewing
 Objectives of the Pilot Study
 To find an alternative data collection
method
 To evaluate the time taken to
conduct interviews using the PDA
 To assess whether data quality
increases with technology use
Computer Assisted Personal
Interviewing
 Preparation
 Research
 Software selection - (Snap)
 Hardware selection – PDA (Dell)
 Training in software application
Computer Assisted Personal
Interviewing
 Planning
 Prepare data-entry screens using
Snap software
 Edit features built into data entry
screen
 Testing of questionnaire in-house
Computer Assisted Personal
Interviewing
 Planning
 Pilot tested 50 HHs from 5CDs
 Selection and training of
interviewers
 Establishment of data quality control
Computer Assisted Personal
Interviewing
 Performance – Field work
 PDA easier to manage during
fieldwork
 Large households were challenging
for Interviewers
 Power failure resulted in a loss of data
from PDA
Computer Assisted Personal
Interviewing
 Processes
 Data synchronization
 Import in Snap software
 Append data to database
 Data editing/coding
Computer Assisted Personal
Interviewing
 Lessons Learned
 Proper supervision of field
interviewers
 Recruitment standards

 More training

 More field contacts

Computer Assisted Personal
Interviewing
Lessons Learned
 Best suited for less complex
questionnaires
 Must be piloted on a small scale
 Detailed documentation of Pilot
Study
Computer Assisted Personal
Interviewing
Benefits
 Reduction in manual editing and
coding
 High-speed delivery of raw data
 Data quality
 CAPI is a viable alternative
Computer Assisted Personal
Interviewing
 Dell Axim X5