Video-Assisted Live Interviewing in Comparison to Other Survey Methods in Australia
Conference
64th ISI World Statistics Congress
Format: CPS Paper
Keywords: experiment, quality-assessment, video-interviewing,
Session: CPS 78 - Survey statistics IV
Wednesday 19 July 8:30 a.m. - 9:40 a.m. (Canada/Eastern)
Abstract
Video Assisted Live Interviewing (VALI) is an emerging data collection mode with great potential. The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) developed and trialled VALI successfully in one of our large population surveys during 2022. Following this, the Social Research Centre (SRC), in collaboration with the ABS, systematically trialled VALI (n = 600) in parallel with other survey modes in an experimental study fielded later that year. This included a web mode using a probability-based online panel, Life in Australia™ (n = 600), a mobile phone RDD CATI stream (n = 1,000), and RDD SMS push-to-web (n = 600). VALI respondents were recruited from Life in Australia™, with procedures and materials building on ABS qualitative testing and live pilots. The questionnaire used items with available high-quality benchmarks across a range of domains including health, substance use, disability, psychological distress, and labour force status. We deliberately included items likely subject to mode effects. In this paper, we cover lessons from the ABS development and early findings from the mode comparison study. We examine respondent experience and compare error in VALI to the other survey methods trialled with respect to the benchmarks. The broad range of modes included in the study help to situate VALI performance and suitability with respect to both self- and interviewer-administered modes.