Survey CTO Foundational Knowledge and Setup

1. Introduction to CAPI and SurveyCTO

What is CAPI? Computer-Assisted Personal Interviewing (CAPI) is a method where interviewers use electronic devices (like tablets or smartphones) to conduct surveys. Instead of paper forms, they enter responses directly into software, making data collection faster and more efficient.

Example: Imagine a team conducting a health survey in a rural area. Using CAPI, an interviewer can walk into a household with a tablet, ask questions about family health practices, and record the answers on the spot, eliminating the need for paper forms.

Why Use CAPI?

• Efficiency: CAPI allows real-time data entry, reducing errors and speeding up the collection process.

• Flexibility: Interviewers can easily navigate between questions based on previous answers.

• Data Quality: Immediate validation checks help ensure that the data collected is accurate.

Example: If a respondent indicates that they have a chronic illness, the CAPI system can automatically trigger additional questions related to treatment and management, ensuring comprehensive data collection.

What is SurveyCTO? SurveyCTO is a powerful tool for designing and implementing CAPI surveys. It provides a user-friendly interface, allowing researchers to create surveys without needing advanced technical skills.

2. Step-by-Step Guide to Setting Up CAPI with SurveyCTO

Step 1: Create a Survey Account Start by signing up for a SurveyCTO account. The platform offers a free trial, which is great for getting familiar with its features.

Example: Go to the SurveyCTO website, click “Sign Up,” and fill in your details. You can explore the dashboard to see various options available.

Step 2: Design Your Survey

• Use the Form Designer: Create questions using different types (e.g., multiple choice, text, rating scales).

  Example: If you’re surveying about dietary habits, you might include a multiple-choice question: “What is your primary source of protein?” with options like “Meat,” “Fish,” “Beans,” and “Nuts.”

• Add Logic: Use branching logic to direct respondents based on their answers. For instance, if a respondent answers “yes” to “Do you eat fish regularly?” you can automatically show them a follow-up question about their preferred types of fish.

Step 3: Test Your Survey Before launching, test your survey to catch any errors. Use the preview feature to see how the survey will look on mobile devices.

Example: Conduct a test run with a colleague to identify any confusing questions or technical issues. Make necessary adjustments based on their feedback.

Step 4: Deploy Your Survey Once everything looks good, deploy your survey to field workers. They can download it to their devices and start collecting data!

Example: If your team is conducting a survey on education, field workers can download the survey onto their tablets and head to schools to gather data from students and teachers.

3. Best Practices for Designing Survey Instruments

1. Keep It Simple Use clear and concise language. Avoid jargon and complex terms. Make sure respondents understand the questions easily.

Example: Instead of asking, “How often do you engage in physical activity?” consider rephrasing it to “How many days a week do you exercise?”

2. Limit the Length Shorter surveys tend to have higher completion rates. Aim for around 10-15 minutes of survey time.

Example: If you’re gathering feedback on a community program, keep your survey to 10 questions to encourage more respondents to complete it.

3. Use a Mix of Question Types Combine different types of questions to keep the survey engaging. Use multiple-choice questions for quick answers and open-ended questions for more detailed feedback.

Example: After a multiple-choice question about preferred community services, include an open-ended question like “What other services would you like to see in the community?”

4. Pilot Your Survey Before rolling it out to everyone, conduct a pilot test with a small group. Gather feedback on clarity and user experience, and make necessary adjustments.

Example: If you’re surveying urban residents, test your survey with a small group from different neighborhoods to ensure the questions resonate with diverse perspectives.

5. Think About Mobile Use Since CAPI is conducted on mobile devices, design your survey to be mobile-friendly. Ensure buttons are large enough to click, and text is readable on small screens.

Example: Use larger fonts and clear buttons for answering questions to make navigation easy for interviewers in the field, especially when using tablets in bright sunlight.

Conclusion CAPI and SurveyCTO provide researchers with an innovative and efficient way to collect data. By understanding the basics and following best practices, you can create effective surveys that yield high-quality data. In the next posts, we’ll dive deeper into data collection strategies and how to manage the information you gather. Stay tuned!