Computer-assisted survey information collection: a review of CASIC methods and their implications for survey operations

Computer-Assisted Survey Information (CASIC) is a new term that encompasses all forms of computer-aided survey data collection. The principal CASIC methods in current use are computer-assisted telephone interviewing (CATI), computer-assisted personal interviewing (CAPI), prepared data entry (PDE), touchtone data entry (TDE), and voice recognition entry (VRE). A review of the literature indicates that these methods can have very positive effects on key aspects of survey operations. These methods can reduce costs and improve timeliness on certain types of surveys and significantly improve the quality of the data collected. They also have generally positive implications for questionnaire administration, interviewer and respondent acceptance, and various non-data collection aspects of survey operations. While each method has its limitations, it is clear from the literature that these methods offer significant advantages over conventional paper-and-pencil alternatives.