Figure 1 Your Laptop Computer
Backtracking: Changing Previous Answers
Other Challenges: What Happens If...?
CAPI is an acronym for Computer Assisted Personal Interviewing. Whenever we use CAPI in this guide, we are referring to the entire system which is comprised of the computer, the programs running on the computer, and most importantly, the interviewer.
It can be traumatic to learn a new system. When most of us went to school, we were taught the traditional pencil and paper method of gathering information; thus, we are most comfortable with that technique. Learning CAPI will require an extra effort initially. However, it has proven to be the superior method.
Here is why:
We asked a new staff member to learn CAPI from scratch, with very little instruction from coworkers. She deliberately pressed wrong keys, made range errors, and misread instructions. She noted the consequences of her mistakes and then wrote down any procedure that seemed unclear. In this manner we could view CAPI through fresh eyes and write a handbook that would cover all the initial (but temporary) glitches you might encounter.
We know that the best way to learn a new system is to start using it. We prefer that you switch your computer to "on" almost immediately. Thus, we have kept technical information and "computerese" to the minimum.
We will repeat instructions in some areas. We may instruct you on the function of a key two or three times because it may be appropriate for more than one section. Repetition is one way to learn the system more quickly. Warnings or suggestions may be issued more than once. We are not patronizing you; we may want to reiterate the importance of a particular step.
We are sure that you are going to find the CAPI experience a positive one. We have tried to make CAPI as "user friendly" as possible. Here are a couple of pointers that will enhance your experience.
Make sure your laptop computer gets sufficient energy. The world's
most state-of-the-art computer will not function without some
sort of power. If your computer is operating on battery power,
make sure that you have charged the battery before you begin an
interview (more on this in the section entitled
"Charging the Battery".
Read the screen! We have tried to put as much help as possible
on the screen in front of you. If there's a question of what to
do next, READ before you panic. Additional help can also be found
in this manual in the section entitled "Other Challenges:
What Happens If...?".
Let's proceed to the computer itself.
We are introducing CAPI and the laptop computer on an elementary level. If you are familiar with laptop computers already, some of this information might seem simplistic. Please be patient. Not everyone has used a laptop and the one you are using may be a new model with several new features. Please familiarize yourselves with the features of the laptop.
Place the laptop computer so the hinges are away from you. You
will notice a push button, called a latch release bar, in the
front of the computer. Push in on the latch release bar and raise
the computer cover. Please locate the features identified in Figure 1.
The screen is on the reverse side of the cover. From the screen
you will read the questions in the survey and on the screen you
will see the information you enter into the computer. Near the
keyboard there may also be an indicator panel that will display
status information about the computer to you. At different times
this panel will indicate the current status of different parts
of the computer system by displaying symbols or flashing lights.
(For detailed information on the symbols or lights, see the appropriate
section called in your laptop's User's Manual.)
For the first run-through on your computer, you will use power from an electrical outlet instead of the battery. The battery needs to be charged. Later in this guide, we will discuss how to use the battery.
Once you have opened the laptop and plugged in the computer, you
need to locate the power switch. This switch is usually located
at the top of the keyboard near the "hinge" area of
the computer. Below the power switch may be the words "Off/On"
or symbols "| / O" meaning 'on' or 'off'. Slide the
switch and you should immediately hear a surging sound. (If you
do not hear any noise or see any subsequent activity on the screen,
check your power source, or make sure that you have indeed located
the power switch.)
After you switch it on, allow the computer to do its job. Even
though your laptop computer is compact, it is still a highly complex
machine and needs time to warm up, start up, and to locate the
correct information for your next step. Be patient and wait. The
Windows and CAPI software will load automatically in a matter
of minutes.
Your first message will instruct you to insert your backup diskette.
| 1. | On the left or right side of the computer, directly under the keyboard, you will find a slot with a lid. Next to the slot is a button that has been depressed. This slot is a floppy disk drive called Drive A and this is where you will be asked to insert a 3.5" diskette. |
 Figure 2 3.5-inch Diskette Topside |
| 2. | Your square 3.5" diskette shown in Figure 2 has a plate of metal on one edge. Beside this metal plate is a small directional arrow impressed in the plastic case. With the arrow facing up, slide the diskette into the Drive A slot following the directional arrow (metal plate goes in first, arrow will be topside). |
Continuing sliding this diskette into Drive A until you hear a distinct click. The depressed button will also pop out. This means the diskette is now in place.
Spend the next few minutes reading this section and locating the important keys on your computer. The keys that are most important are indicated in Figure 3 below. When you know where the keys are on your laptop proceed through the rest of the manual and flip back to this "glance" whenever you need to refresh your memory.
It is important to take the time to familiarize yourself with
your laptop's keyboard. Some of the special keys may vary from
model to model. The difference between <
>, 'up one line',
and <PgUp>, 'page up', may be the <Shift>
or <Alt> or <Ctrl> key. Usually the
key's pad will indicate the alternate character or "function"
of the key.
Figure 3 Your Laptop's Keyboard
For the most part, the keyboards on typewriters and computers function in the same manner. The letter keys are in the same place, the spacebar is at the bottom, the number keys across the top.
Your laptop computer keyboard has additional keys that a regular typewriter lacks. Do not be intimidated by these extra keys. Some of them you will never use during the survey, and the important ones will be described in this section.
Whenever this manual refers to an actual key on the computer keyboard,
it will appear in angle brackets, < >, as shown in
the descriptions of the keys in Figure 3 above and as seen in
the following paragraphs.
<F1> through <F12> keys are located
on the top row of the keyboard. The <F> keys will allow
you to do such diverse things as get help (general
or question by question),
record a refusal,
make
a comment, or end the interview. Each time a question appears
on your screen, the important function keys and their functions
will be listed across the bottom of your screen for easy reference
(see "The Main Menu Screen"). Each time you
use a function key, make sure you read the specific instructions
that appear on the screen.
> <
> <
> <>,
are directional keys and are found in the lower right corner of
your keyboard. When pressed, these arrow keys allow you to move
the highlight bar among a set of answers on the screen.. These
keys like the cursor moving device will be very important to record
answers. The "down arrow" key, <>, is used on
every screen to 'initialize' the screen. (See "General Points
About Questions", number 3. Insert mode: Most often you will just want to type in an answer in a blank. Sometimes in a previous response, you may want to add to what is already there. This is called insert mode.
Overstrike mode: Overstrike or "type over" means the computer cursor will type over everything as it moves across the screen. This works well if you have made a mistake on a word or digit and wish to begin again.
Example of Insert mode:
> to the space following Education;
In the above example you just started typing in the place you wanted to add information. That's because the computer is automatically in insert mode. However, sometimes you may want to type over an answer so you need to switch to Overstike mode. To switch between Insert or Overstrike mode,
Watch the screen. If you are using a diskette, insert it and wait a moment. You may need to select an icon or type a command to activate the CAPI software. After you have selected the CAPI option, a list of options will appear as shown in Figure 4.
Figure 4 The Main Menu Screen
Each option is represented by an icon and a corresponding 'button' with text in it. This list is called the Main Menu screen.
| Icon |  |
Button |  |
| Another object that appears on the screen is the cursor. | |||
| Cursor |  |
||
On the Main Menu screen you should note the following:
If you now accidentally activated one of the buttons, you will see a second window appear on the screen. To close an open window because you activated the wrong button just press the "escape" key.
In Figure 4 there are eight button options on the Main Menu screen. A brief explanation of each option follows. Each option is discussed in detail later. (Click on the blue hyperlink corresponding to the option to go to that option.)
If you have ever worked with a computer before, you know that the Cursor indicates a place on the screen. The place on the screen indicated by the cursor is the place the computer "sees". The cursor can be moved in order to point a position, select an option, or type in necessary information. The CAPI cursor has three forms. It will be either an arrow figure, a highlight bar, or a blinking vertical bar as shown below.
Screen cursor | |
 |
The arrow cursor allows you to move all over the screen and point to a position on the screen. Depending on the model of laptop the cursor is usually manipulated via the keyboard or a 'mouse'. When you are conducting an interview, you may not be able to use this cursor because of space and hand limitations. You may be trained to use arrow keys on the keyboard. |
List cursor | |
 |
The highlight bar indicates an option or answer that is selected.
It usually appears in a box or "window" on the screen.
The highlight bar may be positioned by placing the arrow cursor.
over an object and pressing a button or key. Another way to move
the highlight bar is to use the directional arrows
<> <>.
You may be trained to use arrow keys on the keyboard. |
Text cursor | |
| "|" | A blinking vertical bar indicates the current position on the screen where data entry will take place. It usually occurs in a blank box in a window or at the end of text that you have just typed. |
To choose an option from the list on the Main Menu screen you must activate the corresponding button. There are several methods to select a Main Menu option and activate a button. Method number one below is the preferred way and will be depicted throughout this guide in all illustrations. You will, however, have to decide which method you like best.
) atop a button by using the 'cursor moving device.'
> or the 'up arrow' key <>.
After you have activated a button, a second window will appear on the screen. If you need to close an open window because you activated the wrong button press the "escape" key.
To begin an interview, it may be necessary to select the type
of interview you need to conduct with the respondent. The first
interview may be conducted with the first person to appear at
the door of the dwelling. The next interview may be conducted
with the head of the household or the parent of a child. The following
interview may be conducted with a child.
Figure 5 Selecting a Survey from the Main Menu
To select the type of survey follow the steps listed below.
First, activate Selecting a Survey. To activate a button, either
Once you have selected an button option, a window like the one shown in Figure 5 will appear with a list. The highlight bar must be moved to an option in the list.
> and <>.
When the desired item in the list has been highlighted, press
When the < Enter> key is pressed the highlighted
interview type will be selected and the window with the list of
choices will disappear. You are now ready to make another choice
from the Main Menu. Usually you will start a new case or restart
an old case, but you may also want to change the language of the
interview.
In some cases you may want to conduct an interview in an alternate language. The default language is English, but others are available.
Figure 6 Selecting a Language from the Main Menu
To select a language other than English follow the instructions below.
Once you have pressed <A> a window similar the one in Figure 6 will appear with a list of available languages. The highlight bar must be moved to the option of choice. To move the highlight bar, use
> and <>.
When the desired language has been highlighted, press
When the < Enter> key has been pressed the
language option has been selected and the window with the list
of language options will disappear. You are now ready to make
another choice from the Main Menu. Usually you will want to start
a new case or restart an old case. To start an interview you must
select a case.
After you have selected an interview type (and alternate language, if applicable) you will need to start a case. A case is an individual interview that links a respondent to the data gathered. The link between the interviewer and data is a case identifier. It may be a number, name, or similar convention. You will also need the case identifier so that you can send the case to the Central Office for processing. The case identifier will help both you and the Central Office refer to the same data, interview, and respondent.
Figure 7 Opening a New Case from the Main Menu
To open a case and assign an identifier,
Once you have pressed <N> a window similar to the one shown in Figure 7 will appear with a list of cases. The highlight bar must be moved to the case of choice.
To move the highlight bar, use
> and <>.
When the desired new case has been highlighted, press the
When the < Enter> key is pressed the highlighted new case will be chosen and the list of case will disappear. The case you selected will be loaded and the following window will appear on the screen indicating that the case is being loaded.
Figure 8 Loading the Selected Case
When the case is loaded, the interview
will begin and a screen similar to Figure 15 will appear.
You may now want to skip to "The Typical Question Screen".
The following sections discuss the remaining options on the Main Menu screen.
In some cases it may be necessary to restart a case that you had already begun but had to terminate prematurely for some reason. If you exited the case properly (see "Quitting the Interview Early".) then the work you did was saved and can be retrieved. You will not have to repeat any of the work you did and you will be able to pick up right where you left off. Restarting an old case is much like beginning a new case, except when you restart an old case you will pick up with the question where you left off.
Figure 9 Restart and Old Case from the Main Menu
To restart a case,
Once you have pressed <R> a window similar to the one shown in Figure 9 will appear with a list of old cases. The highlight bar must be moved to the option of choice.
To move the highlight bar, use
> and <>.
When the desired new case has been highlighted, press
When the < Enter> key is pressed the highlighted
new case will be chosen and the list of case will disappear. The
case you selected will be loaded to the question where you interrupted
the interview. When the case is loaded, a screen similar to
Figure 15 will appear. You may now want to skip to
"The Typical Question Screen".
The following options are available to the designer during the testing phase: (Editor's Note: This section is also of the Manager Survey Reference manual.) When the survey is in the field this option may be replaced by a case management option that is custom-built to suit the needs of a particular survey or organization.
Once you have activated the Survey Options button on the Main
Menu screen, the window shown in Figure 10 will appear. As a designer
or tester you can set environmental options for the testing phase.
Figure 10 Survey Options from the Main Menu
You can set the date input convention to match your organization's date format standards.
You can set the mode and occurrence of the debugging program to suit the complexity of your instrument.
You can specify different environmental variables to use during
various phases of testing. (Useful to isolate various functions
during testing phase.
This option is discussed later in detail in the section entitled
"Transmitting Cases".
To activate the Help button, press <H> (the underlined letter). Help topics are on-line versions of this manual. If you've forgotten your manual and you want to know something about the computer, keys, battery, or how to choose an option, press this Help button. During the interview if you're stumped and need help with a question, you will use the <F1> Help key to get information on that question. (For more information on <F1> Help, see "A Word About HELP".)
When <H> is pressed, the Contents window of Help
topics for CAPI will appear. Figure 12 shows this window.
Figure 12 Contents Window of Help for CAPI
To select a topic, press <Tab>.
When <Tab> is pressed the first topic shown in green, CAPI, will be highlighted.
To move to the next green topic, press <Tab> again.
When the desired topic is highlighted, press <Enter>
When <Enter> is pressed, either the help topic will appear or another menu will appear with more topics. Figure 13 shows another list of help topics for the Main Menu Screen Options
Figure 13 Help Topic for Main Menu
To move among the green topics, press <Tab> repeatedly until the desired topic is highlighted. Then press
This Main Menu option allows you to exit the entire system. This
is what you will use after you have completed or interrupted an
interview. When you activate this selection (press <E>),
the information you have entered will be recorded and updated
on the disk that you inserted at the beginning of the interview.
When this process is finished, you will be prompted to remove
your disk and turn off your computer.
Our designers want you to have as much information as possible as you gaze at the computer screen. Here is what you will see on all screens:
Figure 15 is an illustration of a typical question screen.
Figure 15 General Question Screen
The parts of the screen are:
 |
 |
 |
 |  | ||
| Button when screen is initialized | Button when ready to advance to the next question |
 |
 Figure 16 F1 Help |
At any time during the interview, access to help on a question by question basis is available at your fingertips. We cannot emphasis this enough. Just press the <F1> key on the keyboard as indicated in the legend along the bottom of every screen. If you need general help about the computer, keys, battery, etc., use the Help button on the Main Menu screen. |
Some of the question types require special steps; However, all have similarities. Before learning any specialized information, please note these generalized pointers.
> key to "intialize" the
screen. Before an answer can be recorded, the screen must be initialized.
There are three major types of questions that you will need to be familiar with. They are:
That's all there is to recording answers. Now we discuss each
question type in detail below.
The respondent must choose between 'Yes' or 'No.' You must record
the appropriate answer. Don't forget to initialize the screen!
Figure 17 'Yes' or 'No ' Question
>.
> and
<>.
This is just like the 'Yes' or 'No' question except the computer lists several possible answers and expects only one response. You may have to read the list of answers and record one response.
Figure 18 Multiple Choice - One Answer
Only
>.
> and
<>.
The computer provides a list of possible answers and allows you to choose more than one answer. This question type involves a few extra steps and can be tricky to record. Practice recording answers to this question as often as you can.
If there are more possibilities in a list than can fit in one
window, a square will appear in the scroll bar between the two
arrows on the right side of the answer list. You can easily scroll
up and down through the answer list by using one of two arrow
keys <> or
<> on the keyboard.
Figure 19 Multiple Choice - Code All
that Apply
To record multiple responses:
>.
>
and <>.
Continue steps 3 -5 until all applicable responses have been highlighted. When you have finished selecting all the responses that apply
Checking off multiple answers is the most complicated key combination you will encounter. During your training, practice the key combination often. Practice will save you time and frustration in the field.
If you mark the wrong line, move the highlight bar back to the
error, hold down <Shift> and depress < Spacebar>
one more time. This will remove the check mark.
You will be asked to provide specific information that will be
typed in the space provided. This question type is the easiest
and the most common. Just read the question, type in the brief
response, and press the < Enter> key to go to the Continue
button. Now press the Continue button or press the <
Enter> key again to move to the next question. Sometimes CAPI
will also provide a range check, that is, let you know what the
range or scope of acceptable responses might be. CAPI will not
let you enter a response that is out of this range, but request
that you re-type the response. Here's what to do in this order:
Figure 20 Fill in the Blank Question
To record a response:
>.
There are some special remarks to bear in mind when entering numbers in Fill-in-the-Blank questions. These remarks make entering data easier for you:
Sometimes it may be more efficient to collect several pieces of information on one screen than to collect it one piece at a time. Some information behaves more like a single item. An address has multiple components (street, city, county, country, zip, etc.) but together may be considered a single piece of information describing an individual, business, organization, etc.
Figure 21 Fill-in-the-Blanks - Multiple Fields
To record a response:
>.
One of the special Fill-in-the-Blank questions is the Date Entry. The question on the screen provides you with the date entry line and the format of the date. Be sure to check the Maximum and Minimum dates allowable.
Figure 22 Date Entry w/ Data Entered
To record a response:
>.
If a date less precise than the day, month, and year is required, the question screen will provide you with necessary date format. Only the month, and year boxes (or just year box) will appear on the screen. There is no need to enter the slashes '/', the computer will automatically add them.
Often a respondent will know only part of the date answer and
cannot remember the day, or the month, or both, but can remember
the year and you will need to enter a partial date as shown in Figure 23.
To enter a partial date, follow the instructions
below.
Figure 23 Don't Know Date
Another one of the special Fill-in-the-Blank questions is the
Time Entry. The question on the screen provides you with the time
entry line and the format of the time. Just type in the hours
and minutes, and be sure to specify if it is AM or PM
Figure 24 Time Entry Questions
To record a response:
>.
Often a respondent will know only part of the time answer. To enter a partial time follow the instructions below.
Several questions are designed to record a respondent's exact
response. Many of them ask for the respondent's answer word-for-word.
Interviewer instructions will ask you to RECORD VERBATIM (in all
caps) for these types of questions. Figure 25 shows this question
type.
Figure 25 Record Verbatim
To record a response:
>.
At times, the computer may request you to record the verbatim and then record a response. Read the screen to determine whether you need to do both. If you are requested to record a verbatim and a response, a window with the list of responses will appear as well as a window for the verbatim. Follow the steps below.
> to the desired response in
the answer list window;
Some questions will require you to type in the name of individuals
or other information about them in a form we call a Roster. A
Roster usually contains several items of information. These items
of information we call "fields." Some rosters will allow
you to edit its "fields" and others will not. For rosters
that do allow you to type in a name or other information, move
the highlighted bar (<>) to the first blank line
and enter the name or item of information. If you have more items
to enter move to the next blank line and so on. Make SURE there
are NO BLANK LINES between lines of information. Figure 26 shows
a typical roster edit question.
Roster "fields" appear in the middle window entitled e.g. 'People Living in the Household'. The fields are: Name, Date of Birth, Age, Sex, Marital Status, etc. Notice the vertical and horizontal scroll bars.
To move the highlight bar, first, initialize the screen! Press,
<>.
>
or <>.
>, or <>.
Figure 26 Roster Edit Question
To record a response:
>.
>.
Generally, you will only need to enter or edit one "field" at a time, but this may mean entering or editing more than one "line" per question. If you need to edit a different field, a new question will deal with that.
You can gain access to a roster anytime during the interview. Usually this access will be "view" only. This means you can look at the roster, but you cannot edit it.
Figure 27 Accessing a Roster |
To gain access to a roster, press <F3> Roster as shown on the Function Key Legend at the bottom of the screen. |
Figure 28 F3 Rosters
To move the highlight bar through the list of rosters, use
> or <> .
Sometimes the flow of the interview requires giving information to the respondent that does not really require an answer. Sometimes it requires giving you information that the respondent does not need to hear. Just read the screen and follow the directions given. After reading the screen, press
Figure 29 Dummy Question with Interviewer Instructions
The text to read to the respondent is normal sentence text. "Are the following statements true or false for you?"
The information for the interviewer (FYI) is in ALL CAPS.
When you have finished reading the text, press < Enter>
to move on to the next question.
Given the material of certain questions, some respondents may no longer know the answer to the question, for example, the exact date or exact sum of money. For other questions, the respondent may simply refuse to answer them for personal reasons. In these cases, special function keys are available to record each of these answer types. On every screen the Function Key Legend at the bottom is provided as a reminder of which key to press.
To code a "Don't Know," press the <F6> key.
To code a "Refuse," press
the <F5> key.
Figure 30 Don't Know
The computer will automatically display the "Don't Know "answer
(and the "Refuse" answer) at the bottom of the list
of options on the screen and it will be highlighted. If you were
to return to this question to correct the response you would see
the answer as "Don't Know" or "-2".
To record a response:
Figure 31 Refuse
The computer will automatically display the "Refuse"
answer (and the "Don't Know" answer) at the bottom of
the list of options on the screen and it will be highlighted..
If you were to return to this question to correct the response
you would see the answer as a "Refusal" or "-1".
Figure 32 F5 Refuse or F6 DKnow Response
>.
Date and Time Don't Knows
For Date and Time Don't Know responses see "Date Don't Know"
and "Time Don't Know".
At times you may observe something about a particular question
that occurs and reoccurs. You may wish to add a comment to that
question as to how difficult it is for the respondent to understand.
Or you may wish to make an observation on how the respondent reacted
to the question.
When you press <F2>, the window
COMMENT shown in Figure 34 appears.
Figure 33 Comment
You can always add a comment to a question by using the F2 Comm.
button on the Function Key Legend at the bottom of the screen
or press the <F2> key.
Figure 34 Question with Comment Attached
To enter comments, just start typing, the blinking cursor is already in the comment window.
 Figure 35 Comment Icon |
The icon next to the <Continue> button represents a question with a comment attached. It will appear whenever the question is revisited using the PgUp PrevQ (previous question) or PgDn Slide buttons. |
Not all answers fall into neat categories. Our designers recognize this and have included in some answer lists the category "other-specify." The "Other (Specify) category provides valuable information for future surveys. Depending on their frequencies, certain responses may merit separate categories. This option is usually at the bottom of a list of possible responses. Here is how to handle an "Other (specify)" response.
> or
<>.
When the <Enter> key or the <Left Red Bar> is pressed the SPECIFY window will appear as shown in Figure 36. Like the Comment window, just type in the response and press the <End> key.
Figure 36 Other Specify
Answer
To enter the supplementary information, just start typing.
Take care when you perform changes on previous answers. It is
important to read and follow the instructions below so the computer
makes these changes accurately for all parts of the survey.
Page Up Previous Question 
Figure 37
It is preferable that you change an answer while it is currently displayed on your screen. This means double check an answer before continuing on to the next question. However, a respondent's memory may change and he or she may tell you that a previous answer was incorrect. In this case you must return to that question and change the answer. To return you must backtrack to the question. Figure 37 shows the function key on the Function Key Legend that tells you the appropriate key, <PgUp> , to press.
To begin backtracking:
> key. This will (re-)initialize the screen.
Now depending on the type of question and the input desired, you
must change the response using the proper key sequence. This may
mean choosing a different response from a list, erasing one of
the choices in a multiple choice question, re-entering the date
or time, changing a roster field, or retyping a response. After
training this will be easy and automatic for you.
Normally, you when you change a previous answer you will be changing the answer immediately preceding the one currently displayed on the screen. Either you pressed the wrong key or the respondent says, "No, that's wrong..." and you already recorded the answer.
Sometimes, a respondent's current answer may trigger a memory that the answer to a previous question was incorrect. This question may be pretty far back in the questionnaire. In this case you still must change the answer and you must backtrack to it. There is a rapid way to locate the question, if you have an idea of the approximate location. This rapid way is called "sliding."
When you press <PgDn>, a window similar to the one shown in Figure 39 will appear. This window lists the question "names" and if you know about which question you want to backtrack too, you can use this "slide". The beginning of each question's text is listed next to the question's name as a reminder.
Figure 39 PgDn Slide
The Prievious Questions window displays two columns:
Move the highlight bar, <>
<> (or use the scroll bar) to move
to the exact or approximate question.
When the desired question is located and highlighted, press < Enter >.
When < Enter > is pressed, the highlighted question will appear on the screen as it did when you first answered it. Follow these direction to change the answer
> key
You may now want to return immediately to the question you left when you interrupted the interview to backtrack. There are two ways to get back to the interrupted question:
Fast forward will move you rapidly toward your current question.
Occasionally it will automatically stop at a screen that needs
review. Make sure you examine this screen and make sure to ascertain
whether changes need to be made. Make them if necessary and then
press <F9> FastFwd again until you return to the
current question screen.
You will gain confidence and familiarity with the each of the different interviews, but at the outset, we recommend that if you backtrack, is it is better to return to the interrupted question by reviewing each subsequent answer. Reread each questions and make changes to the answers that are necessary. Sometimes an answer to a question depends on the answer to the previous (or even a more remote previous) question. Double checking takes time but it results in a more accurate survey.
Eventually experience will tell you when to use fast forward or
double check to return to the interrupted question. Until you
have acquired that experience, we recommend that you always double
check your way back to the question where you interrupted the
interview. We will try to demonstrate with the following example.
Backtracking provides the interviewer with the opportunity to change a previously recorded answer. The <F9> Fast Forward function provides a quick return to the place where the interview stopped. However, there is danger in returning too quickly. Imagine the following scenario.
A respondent realizes she has given you the list of employers in the wrong order. She meant to say McDonald's was her first job, Jergen's Factory was her second, not vice versa. You discover her error several questions later. Using the slide key, you backtrack to the question and the employer roster screen and make the correction by reversing the order.
The computer has changed the order of the names in the roster, but remember all those questions about each job? It has switched the employers' names but it has not switched the information for those jobs. Thus, you might be reporting that her job at McDonald's involves making soap on an assembly line and her job at Jergen's involved frying French fries and making hamburgers. The job information recorded on hours, pay, shift, etc., is now also incorrect.
Important: In this case, it is not advisable to fast forward up to the interrupted question, but you should go through all the subsequent questions and verify each answer.
Here is what you do: If you backtrack to make any changes to a question, go through the questions that follow the change one by one. Do not use the fast forward option. Instead, press the Continue button or the < Enter> key and review each question and answer. Make the necessary changes. This takes time but the end result is accuracy.
Note: If you need to delete a name from the Household Roster,
move the cursor to that line and press the <Del>
key. This will remove the name from the roster. Again, make sure
that any subsequent answers correspond to the correct names.
You or your respondent may run out of time or becomes ill and
you may need to end the interview prematurely and come back another
day. Follow the procedures below to do so:
During the interview you may encounter a 'self-administered' portion of the interview. This means that you will allow the respondent to take the laptop and enter the responses him- or herself. The self-administered portion of a survey is used to ask confidential questions that might be embarrassing for a respondent to tell another person. In this manner we hope to get more accurate answers to questions of a personal nature.
During training you will practice how to accomplish this feat and how to instruct the respondents on what to do. In general, you will
During the self-administered portion the computer will read the question to the respondent. The audio should be turned on automatically, but in case it isn't, or in case the respondent prefers to read the question on the screen, the audio may be toggled on and off.
To toggle the audio, press <F4>.
Congratulations you have finished an interview. Your task is 95% completed. Now you need to give this gathered information to the Central Office. Sending the data is called transmitting the cases. Please transmit your surveys once a day, especially if you have conducted any surveys that day. Even if you have not completed any surveys for an entire week, please hook up your computer as detailed below at least once a week.
The reason for the weekly hook-up is that sometimes we find we have made errors in our questions and we need to fix our errors as soon as possible. When you transmit your completed surveys to us via telephone, we also transmit our fixes and updates to you. The sooner we correct our errors, the more accurate the survey is.
Please, follow each step exactly as outlined.
Figure 42 Telephone Jack | On the side or in the back of your computer is a telephone hookup. It may be labeled "Tel". This jack looks just like the phone connection you have in your home. Plug the phone line into this jack. When you hear a click, the phone line is connected from the wall to the computer. |
After you press this button the computer will begin to transmit
the cases automatically. You will not be asked to do anything.
Just sit back and wait.
When transmission is complete (after approximately 1-2 minutes)
a message will appear and indicate whether the transmission was
successful or failed. If everything was successful, you will be
returned to the Main Menu screen. To shut the computer down and
end for the day, press the <E> key ('Exit').
In this section, we have anticipated some common problems that
may occur during a typical survey. You may finish your surveys
and never encounter these challenges. On the other hand, even
in the best of all possible interview worlds, respondents give
unclear answers, interviewers make mistakes (usually small ones),
and equipment goes awry.
Question: What is the procedure if I need to return the next day to finish the interview?
Answer: If your respondent runs out of time or becomes ill, you may need to end the interview prematurely and come back another day. Follow these procedures to do so:
The next day. If you followed the above procedures to shut down the computer. You now need to do the following to restart to the case.
Suggestions
Question: What if the respondent demands that I leave the house in the middle of the interview?
Answer: Occasionally the interviewing atmosphere becomes strained,
and the interviewer needs to leave quickly. Our first concern,
of course, is the safety of the interviewer. Our second concern
is for the data. If you do not have time for the termination steps,
unplug the cord, close the computer, and retire to the safety
of your car. At that point, follow the designated steps for ending
the interview.
Question: What if the respondent is suspicious or uncomfortable about the computer?
Answer: Some people are put off or distrustful about technology.
Try to explain the benefits of the CAPI system to them and to
you. You might want to emphasize the increased confidentiality
that results from using the computer as well as the time it saves.
Situation: I accidentally hit the wrong key.
Solution: We designed CAPI with the idea that interviewers will occasionally press an inappropriate key. In nearly all cases, if you press a wrong key, the computer will allow you to correct the mistake.
Question: Survey disappeared from the screen and flying window icons appear. Where did the survey go?
Answer: The computer activated a "screen saver" because
a certain amount of time went by without any survey entries. This
is the computer's way of conserving energy and protecting the
screen. Press the <Spacebar> and the screen will return
to normal.
Question: Why does the screen go blank and dark?
Answer: The power source to the computer may have run out (battery) or disconnected (power cord).
If the power source is working and the screen is still blank,
check to see if the computer is in Suspend (or Standby) state..
Question: It is still not working. What now?
Answer (if all else fails): There is a remote possibility that if you have checked everything else, you may have some equipment failure. We do not think that is going to happen. If you think that is what is happening ...
Write down
the emergency number here.)
Question Where is the <Continue> button? I can't find the <Continue> button. It's disappeared.
Answer: Is there a long and wide list of options on the screen?
If so, the <Continue> button is covered
by this list. Now, when you are finished selecting the answer(s),
you will have to use the < Enter> key. Just press
the < Enter> key once and see what happens. If nothing
happens, press it again. You should now have moved on to the next
question.
Your computer battery represents a critical part of the survey's
overall success. Read through this information once, then refer
to this section when it becomes necessary to use your battery.
Up to this point, you have been learning to use your computer
with the power from any wall socket. There will be times when
this is not possible (for instance, when you conduct an interview
outdoors), so prepare for those times now.
Begin the night before a potential interview. The battery takes two and a half hours to charge with the computer turned off and five hours while the computer is turned on.
When you run the computer on battery power, the battery light displays the amount of charge left. The battery light is located near the hinges above the keyboard. The battery light can display levels of charge. Consult your laptop manual for the types of display. If the light is flashing and the system beeping then the battery has about 10 minutes of power left.
You will receive two warnings if your battery is dangerously low. Your battery has 15% or less power remaining if:
When you receive these signals, you need to act quickly to save the information already recorded for that interview. If you allow the battery to go dead, you may lose some of the more recent data you have entered.
If electrical power is available:
If electrical power is unavailable and you have an extra battery:
If electrical power is unavailable and you DO NOT have an extra battery:
You may wish to have a charged, extra battery for long days of interviewing or for the unlikely event of battery failure. Batteries pop in and out of the laptop just like they do in a child's toy. Charge the extra battery the same way you did the battery that came with the laptop (see Charging the Battery). Here is how you change the battery for charging and use:
If your computer is switched on and stands idle for 10 minutes (changeable via the control panel), it will switch to lower power status to conserve energy. Don't worry; you will not lose data because of this. You will know the computer has taken a "time-out" when the screen saver (flying Windows icons) appear. If you press any key, the computer will "wake up" and resume full operation at the same place where you left off.
Suppose your respondent needs to take a long break. You can cut the power consumption down by placing the computer in a deliberate time-out. Like the automatic time-out, when you wish to resume the interview you will be placed back at the exact spot you left off.
Despite its friendliness, your computer is a sophisticated machine and will not function properly if it is mishandled. Here is how to treat it kindly:
