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Certifying interviewers: the role of testing interviewers to improve data quality

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  • Rachael Walsh

Abstract

The complexity of conducting personal interviews often requires both classroom training prior to fielding a survey and the certification of interviewers in the field. In an attempt to create a tool that would enable data collection agencies to tailor the training process and more effectively link the classroom to the field, the Census Bureau administered a certification exam to the interviewers of a new, more conversational style of interviewing in the redesign of the Survey of Income and Program Participation-Event History Calendar (SIPP-EHC). This research applied multilevel modeling to the 2010 and 2011 SIPP-EHC field test data to observe the effects of the variation in certification test score on measures of interviewer productivity—interview length and person non-response. From 2010 to 2011, short answer response questions replaced half of the multiple-choice response questions, finding short answer responses are better predictors of both interview length and person non-response than multiple-choice responses. These changes in the exam demonstrated a significant reduction in the interviewer effect seen on both outcomes. Copyright Springer Science+Business Media B.V. 2014

Suggested Citation

  • Rachael Walsh, 2014. "Certifying interviewers: the role of testing interviewers to improve data quality," Quality & Quantity: International Journal of Methodology, Springer, vol. 48(1), pages 317-335, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:qualqt:v:48:y:2014:i:1:p:317-335
    DOI: 10.1007/s11135-012-9770-8
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