Telephonic Interviews
What?
Interviewing by telephone remains a popularly used research methodology the world over.
Since 70-80% of communication occurs non-verbally (through body language and visual cues), this method is considered slightly inferior to face to face interactions yet sometimes telephones may allow respondents to feel more relaxed and thus enable them to disclose sensitive information. Many software options are now available that assist interviewers in this process.
Why?
•Wide geographical access: People from all over the globe can be interviewed, of course if they have access to a telephone or computer.
•Hard to reach populations: It enables researchers to contact populations that might be difficult to work with on an face to face basis for example mothers at home with small children, shift workers, very senior people not willing for a personal interaction and people with disabilities.
•Closed site access: It is a possible means of access to people on sites, which have closed or limited access (such as hospitals religious communities, prisons, the military, and cults).
•Sensitive information: Some personal issues are so sensitive that participants might be reluctant to discuss them face to face with an interviewer
•For obtaining a speedy feedback on a specific issue: If the issue is quite specific and does not need a visual stimulus reaction, this method maybe used. To get a quick diagnostic for a certain behavior being observed in a certain sub-segment, this method may be used – e.g., why have you stopped using the mobile internet? Also for a spontaneous reaction to a name, product idea or to obtain a quick feedback on a service or product. Used for customer satisfaction studies also.