Market research employs different research methodologies to obtain accurate data. Data is the driving force behind businesses, economies, and even our daily living. Observations, Questionnaires, Surveys, Interviews, Focus Groups, Archival Study/Secondary Data Analysis, or Mixed Methods have been used across the globe for qualitative and quantitative analysis of data. One of the latest innovations to access accurate data is the CATI system. Here is all you should know about CATI. You will also discover how FieldworkAfrica makes the most of the CATI technology to obtain accurate data results across different sample terrains including Nigeria, Ghana, Uganda and South Africa.

What is CATI?

Computer-Assisted Telephone Interviewing (CATI) is a telephone surveying technique where the interviewers follow a script that is provided by a software application.

How does CATI work?

The way CATI functions is simple- it has a computerized questionnaire administered to a respondent over the telephone by an interviewer. With the advancement in technology and telecommunication capabilities in Nigeria, coupled with the increased penetration of mobile phones across all social-economic classes, Computer-Assisted Telephone Interview (CATI) in Nigeria has become a reliable means of data acquisition and a quality-driven field research methodology.

Where can I get CATI services?

In 2016, Fieldwork Africa included CATI to its portfolio and capabilities because of the increasing demands from clients who desire quick turnaround with high-quality data. One study we conducted this year was a social research study focused on consumer social behavior and adaptation of the internet as an important part of their daily life. This study was conducted for a leading global social media provider and traversed a period of 6 months.

The project specification is as follows:

• Pan-Nigeria study: respondents were randomly selected from the 6 Geo-political zones. 31,125 respondents were interviewed in total, for a 20-minute average interview length.
• 651,000 minutes in total was spent on the phone interviewing respondents using 4 different languages. The languages used were Yoruba, Hausa, Igbo, and Pidgin-English.
• To meet our fit and target, we had to overcome challenges along the way - An additional 51,547 minutes were used in attempting to reach potential respondents. Some of these respondents were not convinced and thought it was a fraud, some refused to cooperate, some had their phone lines on voicemail and several experienced network issues. Yet some interviews were incomplete and respondents were not reachable to complete the interviews, while some respondents were not available to speak and appointments were made to reach them at a later preferred time and date.
• 125 seasoned interviewers were intensively trained for this campaign- featuring men and women with higher education, good communication skills, and who speak at least one language apart from English. 4 supervisors and 4 Quality Control officers were on ground to enforce quality policies and solve problems.

How we deliver on our promise.

Fully automated CATI center for surveys. We offer:

• A fully integrated sample management solution to manage quotas and sub-quotas.
• The Survey System can import a list of names, phone numbers, and other information. It can also combine answers with pre-existing information.
• After the call, the interviewer selects a result (complete, no answer, busy, etc). They can make an appointment, call back, or leave a comment. The results are automated.
• Backups are made daily onto a secure server on-site, as well as weekly backups by our IT team offsite.

CATI: Taking your Research Quality to the top

With CATI, we can produce all the details as well as the survey summary reports that you need to manage your project effectively. These include interviewers per-hour and total results, results per attempt, or per day, the number of active telephone numbers, rate of interview cooperation, and more. The CATI software is equipped to enforce quotas based on the interview questions or existing information automatically. You can also view the data as the interview progresses. Ultimately, you can expect more accurate results from your research efforts.