What is Interviewer-administered survey?
An interviewer-administered survey is one where a trained person asks questions aloud and records the respondent’s answers. It is commonly used face-to-face or by phone to reach people who may not complete a written or online form on their own.
In an interviewer-administered survey, an interviewer (or enumerator) presents each question to the participant and records their responses. The interviewer can read questions verbatim, clarify wording, probe for fuller answers on open questions, and help with response options. This approach contrasts with self‑administered surveys (paper or online) where participants read and complete the questionnaire themselves. Interviewer surveys are used in phone interviews, in-person interviews, and sometimes via video calls. They are useful for populations with low literacy, limited internet access, or when rapport and clarification improve data quality.
Usage example
A local council uses interviewer-administered surveys to call residents about housing needs: an interviewer reads the survey in the resident’s preferred language, records their answers, and notes any follow-up comments.
Practical application
Interviewer-administered surveys matter because they increase coverage and data quality in situations where self-completion would exclude people — for example, non‑readers, older adults, or multilingual communities. Interviewers can clarify ambiguous questions, encourage completion, and probe for richer open-text responses. The trade-offs are higher cost, the risk of interviewer bias, and the need for interviewer training and consistent questionnaires. For teams working across languages, using a single survey that provides interviewer scripts and automatic translations reduces errors and ensures every interviewer asks the same core questions while allowing participants to respond in their own language.
FAQ
How is interviewer-administered different from self-administered surveys?
Interviewer-administered surveys are read aloud by an interviewer who records answers; self-administered surveys are completed directly by respondents (on paper or online). Interviewer surveys allow clarification and probing but require more resources and introduce potential interviewer effects.
What are the main risks with interviewer-administered surveys and how can they be reduced?
Risks include interviewer bias, inconsistent question wording, and social‑desirability effects. Reduce these by using standard scripts, brief training, quality checks (recordings or spot checks), and clear instructions for neutral probing.
When should I choose an interviewer-administered approach?
Choose it when participants may struggle with reading or online tools, when you need higher response rates or richer qualitative answers, or when language and cultural barriers require live clarification. If budget, speed, and low bias are priorities, a well-designed self-administered survey may be preferable.