Running multi-mode surveys

Note: you need to be running version 5.3.5 or later to use the functionality described in this topic.

AskiaField allows you to run multi-mode surveys. At present, this functionality allows you to begin a survey in Web mode, and then later switch it over to CATI. In future versions, you will be able to switch the other way – from CATI to Web.

Note: To allow multi-mode interviewing, your sample list needs to be set up for both Web and CATI (i.e. with email and telephone fields populated).

One possible scenario for this feature is where you begin a survey in Web mode and, during fieldwork, want to use CATI contact all sample list members who have not answered yet, or who have started the survey but not finished it (of course, your survey would be need to set up to keep incomplete interviews: this can be set up on the general tab of the survey task properties).

Note: It will be possible to change modes in the opposite direction (starting in CATI and resuming in Web), in a later release of AskiaField. It is, however, already possible to send an encrypted invitation mailing directly from the CATI station.

For further details, see the following Knowledge Base article: Multi-mode surveys.

There are three ways to switch mode from Web to CATI:

Manually for individual contacts from the find/edit contacts dialog

You can switch over one or more individual sample list contacts from the find/edit contacts dialog (with the proviso that you should ensure that telephony details are populated in the list for at least the contacts in question).

To switch over individual sample list contacts:

  1. In the find/edit contacts dialog, perform a search to find the contact/s you want to switch over.
  2. Select the contact/s you want to switch over (you can select multiple adjacent contacts by holding down SHIFT and then clicking the first and last ones, or multiple individual contacts by holding down CTRL as you click).
  3. Right-click, and select web, then switch contacts from web to telephony. The mode for the selected contact/s is immediately changed to telephony.
Note: When a contact is next called, the interview will be resumed at the last question reached during Web interviewing. A message will be displayed to the agent, informing them that this is a web contact switched over to CATI.

Manually for the entire sample list

You can switch over an entire sample list from Web to CATI (with the proviso that you should ensure that telephony details are populated in the list).

To switch over an entire sample list:

  1. In the sample lists view, right-click the list.
  2. Select web, then switch contacts from web to telephony. A dialog appears.
  3. Set the minimum time (in days, hours and minutes) that must have elapsed since a contact took part in web interviewing before he/she is contacted for CATI interviewing.
  4. If you want contacts who were invited, but never took part, to be switched over to CATI, then select include contacts which were mailed, but didn't reply. Otherwise, clear (de-select) this box.
  5. If you want contacts who took part, but never completed their interviews, to be switched over to CATI, then select include contacts which started an interview, but abandoned it. Otherwise, clear (de-select) this box.
  6. Click OK.

Automatically, using a scheduled task

You can automate mode switching from Web to CATI by using the schedule properties functionality on a sample list.

To schedule automatic mode switching:

  1. In the sample lists view, right-click the list.
  2. Select properties. The sample list properties dialog appears.
  3. Click the scheduling tab.
  4. Click add....
  5. Select switch contacts from web to telephony.
  6. Set the minimum time (in days, hours and minutes) that must have elapsed since a contact took part in web interviewing before he/she is contacted for CATI interviewing.
  7. If you want contacts who were invited, but never took part, to be switched over to CATI, then select include contacts which were mailed, but didn't reply. Otherwise, clear (de-select) this box.
  8. If you want contacts who took part, but never completed their interviews, to be switched over to CATI, then select include contacts which started an interview, but abandoned it. Otherwise, clear (de-select) this box.
  9. Set the appropriate options in the schedule and options tabs (see schedule properties for details), in order to schedule the mode switching.
  10. Click OK to set up the schedule.
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