Personal interview
Also called: Face-to-face interview · Topic: Economic Data: Census, NSS, Surveys and Statistical Tools · NCERT: Class 11, Ch 2 "Collection of Data"
Meaning
In a personal interview, the researcher meets the respondent face to face and asks the questions. It gets the highest response rate and can use every type of question. It is best for open-ended questions. The interviewer can clear up doubts and watch the respondent's reactions. However, it is the most expensive and slowest mode, and the interviewer may influence the answers.
Example
NSS enumerators visit sampled households and fill in the survey schedule in person. Today they use CAPI (Computer Assisted Personal Interviewing), which means the answers are entered on tablets. Built-in checks on the tablet reduce recording errors.
Don't confuse with
- Mailed questionnaire survey: this is the cheapest mode, and there is no interviewer to influence the answers. But few people reply, and it is useless for people who cannot read.
Related concepts
- Primary data
- Secondary data
- Survey
- Variable
- Observation
- Questionnaire
- Enumerator
- Informant
- Closed-ended question
- Open-ended question