CATI: A comprehensive guide to uses and benefits

Apr 9

CATI, or Computer Assisted Telephone Interviewing, is a method for conducting surveys in market research. A CATI survey involves asking respondents questions via telephone or video call, while simultaneously using computer software to help facilitate and record the interview.

There are many benefits of Computer Assisted Telephone Interviewing. First and foremost, it reduces the risk of human error in the interviewing process and enables more complex surveys. In this article, we explore what is CATI, and why it is the best data collection method for quantitative surveys in B2B market research.

What is CATI?

CATI or Computer Assisted Telephone Interviewing uses a computer software program to help facilitate and record market research surveys conducted by telephone or video call. The market researcher views the questionnaire on a computer screen and fills in the responses as they ask the respondent the questions. The CATI software is pre-coded with the survey logic, which eliminates the need for interviewers to know what questions to ask of a specific respondent.

Before CATI was introduced in the late 20th century, market research interviews were conducted by telephone or in-person. However, the interviewer would have to make their own judgement calls about the questionnaire logic. There was also a greater risk that responses would be recorded incorrectly.

Understanding Computer Assisted Telephone Interviewing

How do CATI interviews work?

The process for CATI interviews is as follows:

The interviewer views the questionnaire in the Computer Assisted Telephone Interviewing software on their computer screen. They use the software to call the respondent via telephone or video.
Once connected, the interviewer begins reading the survey script. They ask the respondent the survey questions displayed on the screen and enter their responses directly into the CATI software.
The CATI software's pre-coded branching logic decides which questions are relevant to the respondent based on their previous answers. That way, irrelevant questions are automatically skipped. Questions can also be personalized and controlled for illogical answers.
The completed survey data is then exported from the CATI software and used for market research analysis.

What is the difference between CATI and CAPI interviews?

CATI and CAPI (Computer Assisted Personal Interviewing) are both methods used for conducting surveys. However, they differ significantly in their approach and execution.

CATI involves conducting interviews over the phone or via video calls, using computer software to guide the conversation and record responses in real-time. By contrast, CAPI interviews are conducted face-to-face. The interviewer meets the respondent in person and uses a tablet or laptop to administer the survey.

While Computer Assisted Personal Interviewing can provide richer qualitative data through personal interaction, a CAPI survey often requires more time and resources to arrange and conduct. Additionally, a CAPI interview may be more susceptible to interviewer bias, as the personal presence of the interviewer can influence responses.

Overall, CATI is typically more efficient for large-scale quantitative research, while Computer Assisted Personal Interviewing may be better suited for in-depth qualitative research.

The benefits of a CATI survey

There are several benefits of a CATI survey for market research, which we will explore in detail here.

Reduces the risk of human error and bias in data collection

A CATI survey reduces the risk of human error. Since the survey uses automated question sequences and a pre-determined script, the interviewer can concentrate on asking the questions and filling out the answers on the screen. This eliminates the need for them to make a judgment about which questions to skip. By automating question delivery, it maintains neutrality. This results in uniformity across different interviews and participants. At the same time, the CATI software captures responses directly into a database. This reduces manual entry mistakes, increasing data accuracy.

Supports more complex survey design

A major advantage of using Computer Assisted Telephone Interviewing software is that it supports more complex survey design. This enables researchers to dive deeper into intricate subjects effortlessly. It streamlines data collection processes, regardless of the questionnaire's complexity.

Market researchers can design surveys with more branches, which allows for greater data segmentation. They can derive more nuanced insights from multiple audiences in one survey, without disrupting the flow of the interview or introducing risk of human error. The surveys are scalable, which makes data collection for large sample sizes easier.

Streamlines the interview process

A CATI survey automates tedious tasks, which supports faster interviews with fewer disruptions. When interviewers administer CATI surveys, they input responses directly during the phone call. This often involves clicking a multiple-choice response on the screen or typing a response into a text box. It is faster to administer CATI interviews than traditional methods, such as CAPI interviews, where the interviewer is completing a paper survey in-person.

Since Computer Assisted Telephone Interviewing software supports a more complex survey logic, questionnaires can be designed with more branches and personalized questions. This eliminates the need for respondents to answer irrelevant questions, shortening the questionnaire and keeping the respondent engaged throughout. This leads to higher survey completion rates and better-quality data overall.

Stronger respondent identity verification

CATI software supports conducting interviews via telephone or video calls. This makes it easier to validate the identity of the survey respondent. Data fraud is a common problem with data collection methods where the respondent is completing survey by themselves, such as online survey panels.

Reduces the risk of data fraud or poor responses

CATI's design supports rigorous data validation checks. Errors are flagged immediately, providing cleaner datasets for analysis. If the interviewer enters an illogical answer or accidentally skips a question, then the CATI software will prevent them from moving forward with the survey.

Improves data accuracy

A live interviewer briefed on the research objectives and complex B2B terminology helps to clear up misunderstandings about what is being asked. Interviewers clarify and explain what is meant by a specific term, ensuring that respondents can respond accurately and effectively. This provides a better dataset for analysis.

Responsiveness to insights as data is collected

Data from a CATI survey is processed instantly, providing researchers with immediate insights. Prompt adjustments in research can lead to better decision-making. Researchers can observe and analyze data as it's collected. This immediate feedback loop is valuable for refining survey strategies. For instance, if questions need to be refined or added after an initial sample is collected to improve the responses.

CATI software often integrates seamlessly with other market research tools, including CRM systems and data analysis tools. This offers a comprehensive approach to data analysis. Ultimately, it leads to more insightful outcomes and strategic decisions.

CATI interviews v. online survey panels

CATI interviews always involve an interviewer asking respondents the questions via telephone or video call. By comparison, online survey panels are self-administered. The panel respondent views the questions through an online portal and fills out the questionnaire responses on their own.

The advantages of online surveys

Online surveys are lower cost and quicker than CATI interviews. They are automated and do not have to account for the time or cost of paying for a telephone interviewer.
Online survey panelists sign up to complete surveys themselves in their own time, which makes collecting data quicker and easier. By comparison, CATI interviews often involve sourcing and scheduling a time for a call with an industry expert. That can be more costly and time-consuming.

The disadvantages of online surveys

Since online survey panels are self-administered, there is a greater risk of data fraud and lower quality data. There is less validation that respondents to online survey panels are who they say they are. 43% of online sample responses are removed by research agencies, according to research by the Insights Association.
The cash incentives for taking online surveys are often artificially low. There is temptation for panelists to complete surveys that they are not qualified for. A panelist may complete tens or even hundreds of interviews through an online survey marketplace.
In some cases, respondents may lie about their expertise to qualify for a survey - for instance, a finance graduate may take a survey targeted toward financial advisors. Online survey panelists can easily use AI to answer technical screening questions in surveys. In some cases, they may even be bots.

CATI interviews support stronger data validation

CATI interviews make it easier to validate the identity of the respondent via telephone or video call. By custom-recruiting respondents and verifying their business email address, it is also possible to add an extra layer of identity validation.

Custom-recruited respondents are adequately incentivized for their time and are directly recruited for their expertise, so the quality of their responses tends to be higher. This approach ensures that the data collected comes from real people who are relevant experts.

AI will make CATI surveys more competitive

Technological innovation, including artificial intelligence (AI), will continue to improve the effectiveness of Computer Assisted Telephone Interviews. Integrating AI could transform data collection and analysis, enhancing accuracy and speeding up insights. For instance, voice recognition and natural language processing could eventually replace the need for human telephone interviewers. This would reduce the cost and improve efficiency of CATI interviews, while maintaining high data quality, making them more competitive with online surveys.

What are common uses of a CATI survey?

Computer Assisted Telephone Interviewing is an excellent method for conducting quantitative surveys in B2B industries. It enables a B2B market research agency to custom recruit and validate the identity of B2B industry experts, who can be hard to reach through other methods.

Here are some examples of how CATI interviews are used by B2B market research companies:

B2B customer experience: CATI interviews are used to gather feedback from customers on how a brand performs against key value drivers.
B2B brand awareness: CATI interviews help B2B brands to understand how their brand is perceived by the market, and what improvements they can make to increase brand awareness.
B2B segmentation: CATI interviews are used to understand how a B2B market can be divided into distinct customer groups, based off of shared attributes, needs and behaviors.
B2B market intelligence: CATI interviews source information from B2B customers on key competitors and where their needs aren't being met. This enables B2B brands to explore opportunities for new customer segments.

Conclusion: Why CATI is the best interview method for B2B market research

CATI is a vital tool in market research, particularly in B2B industries. It ensures high-quality data collection from verified and qualified respondents for B2B quantitative research.

Since CATI interviews are based on telephone and video interviews, it is easier to validate the identity of respondents than with online survey panels. Interviewers are also able to follow up on questions if a respondent initially gives an unclear answer. This ensures that the survey captures higher quality data with lower risk of human error or bias.

Overall, CATI interviews are the best survey method for B2B market research. The higher quality data helps B2B brands to make more informed business decisions.

Rebecca Nye