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3. Data collection methods and instruments
3.1 Use of Computer Aided Personal Interviewing ( CAPI)
In common with many other large-scale government surveys, the SHS is carried out using Computer Aided Personal Interviewing ( CAPI). This offers a number of important advantages over traditional pen-and-paper interviewing for a survey of this kind. These include the following:
- CAPI allows greater complexity in questionnaire design, since routing and 'loops' in the interview can be automated and thus effectively hidden from the interviewer. It also eliminates the need for complex selection procedures during an interview, since random selection can be built into the program.
- Overall data quality is improved because the need for a separate data entry stage is eliminated and because automatic skip-and-fill routines and range and logic checks reduce the scope for interviewer error.
- Preliminary data are available at the end of each day's fieldwork and the lack of a separate data entry stage allows faster turnaround of results more generally.
- The CAPI system generates detailed information about the timing and duration of interviews, allowing fieldwork to be monitored more closely.
Although there are now a number of competing CAPI solutions, the contractors use a Windows system and In2itive software.
3.2 Questionnaire development and changes
The original SHS questionnaire was developed between August and December 1998 by the Survey Team, working in conjunction with the Technical Group for the survey from the Scottish Executive. This followed a broader consultation exercise in which interested parties from a range of policy areas, academia, voluntary organisations and other bodies were invited to propose topics or specific questions for inclusion in the survey.
The core of the SHS questionnaire is intended to remain constant, but there is also scope for the inclusion of different modules over time. A simplified version of the questionnaire for each survey year is provided as a separate document. The SHS website also contains details of survey content and questionnaire changes at www.scotland.gov.uk/topics/statistics/16002/4047.
3.3 Fieldwork
The main fieldwork for the survey has an on-going monthly cycle. Interviewers are required to make up to six calls at an address (an initial visit plus five 'call-backs'). In addition to the immediate reissue of contact sheets that have been wrongly completed or where the required number of call-backs has not been made, there is an on-going programme of reissuing 'non-contacts' in a bid to maximise the response rate. At the end of each fieldwork year a significant number of valid but 'non-contact' addresses remain 'live'.
The response rates for the SHS need to take account of the continuous nature of the survey. The data file for each year will contain a small proportion of interviews conducted on sample drawn the previous year. Similarly some of the addresses issued during any year will not be carried out until after the data file has been closed for analysis. These interviews are carried into the next data file. The response rates therefore report the outcomes for addresses sampled for a given period regardless of when the interview was carried out. Details of the most recent response rates are given in Fieldwork outcomes.
3.4 Questionnaire structure, length and content
It was noted earlier that the questionnaire falls into two parts: the first collecting information about the composition and characteristics of the household from the Highest Income Householder or their spouse/partner; the second focusing mainly on the attitudes and experiences of a random adult member of the household. The former is intended to generate data representative of Scottish households and the latter data representative of the Scottish adult population resident in private households. It should be noted, however, that for reasons of space a handful of 'household' questions are also asked of the 'random adult'. These address household events or characteristics which any adult member of the household would be likely to know about ( e.g. recent experience of break-ins).
A simplified version of the questionnaire can be found in the third part of this series: Questionnaire. The broad topic areas, however, are as follows.
In the first half of the interview (with the highest income householder or spouse/partner), respondents are asked about:
- household composition and characteristics of household members
- type of property/accommodation
- cars in household and access to public transport
- children in the household, childcare, satisfaction with schooling and travel to school
- employment status of the highest income householder
- household income from employment and other sources
- savings and household finances.
In the second half of the interview (with the 'random adult'), respondents are asked about their own:
- housing experiences, including homelessness
- education qualifications
- perceptions of the local area
- experience of crime and victimisation and fear of crime
- travel to work or education
- use of private and public transport
- travel on the previous day
- perceptions of services and local government
- experiences of neighbourhood disputes
- health problems and caring responsibilities
- employment status
- individual income from employment and other sources.
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