Strategies for Increasing the Accuracy of Interviewer Observations of Respondent Features

Abstract

Because survey response rates are consistently declining worldwide, survey researchers strive to obtain as much auxiliary information on sampled units as possible. Surveys using in-person interviewing often request that interviewers collect observations on key features of all sampled units, given that interviewers are the eyes and ears of the survey organization. Unfortunately, these observations are prone to error, which decreases the effectiveness of nonresponse adjustments based on the observations. No studies have investigated the strategies being used by interviewers tasked with making these observations, or examined whether certain strategies improve observation accuracy. This study is the first to examine the associations of observational strategies used by survey interviewers with the accuracy of observations collected by those interviewers. A qualitative analysis followed by multilevel models of observation accuracy show that focusing on relevant correlates of the feature being observed and considering a diversity of cues are associated with increased observation accuracy.

Temporal Changes in Counseling for and Use of Emergency Contraception

“…Weaknesses include a potential for responder bias for women who respond to the NSFG survey, with women having language barriers being underrepresented. 7 Recall bias with regard to emergency contraception counseling could not be evaluated.…”

“…Weaknesses include a potential for responder bias for women who respond to the NSFG survey, with women having language barriers being underrepresented. 7 Recall bias with regard to emergency contraception counseling could not be evaluated. Over the past decade, there has been an increase in the number of women who have ever used emergency contraception.…”

Factors Affecting the Degree of University Autonomy in Vietnam

“…The questionnaire was combined both closed form (according to the Likert scale) and open form for respondents to fill in the appropriate box. This paper uses the strategies of West and Kreuter to increase the accuracy of interviewer observations of respondent features, 'given that interviewers are the eyes and ears of the survey organization' (West & Kreuter, 2018). The interviewers were managers and staff working in 13 Vietnamese public higher education institutions.…”