Computer Assisted Self-Interviewing Tailored for Special Populations and Topics

Self-administered questionnaires have many advantages, especially when sensitive questions are asked. However, paper self-administered questionnaires have a serious drawback: only relatively simple questionnaires can be used. Computer Assisted Self-Interviewing (CASI) can overcome these problems, and make it possible to use very complex self-administered questionnaires. CASI can take several forms, for instance, it can be a part of a personal (CAPI) interview where the interviewer hands over the computer to the respondent for specific questions. Another form is a computerized version of the mail survey: Disk-by-Mail. We have used both forms in an application for very special populations (primary school children, visually impaired young adults, and parents and children from multi problem families, in which professional guidance for the family was sought). This paper provides an introduction to computer assisted self-interviewing (CASI) and reviews the advantages and disadvantages of CASI with special attention to data quality. We discus the advantages of CASI when investigating special groups and topics and provide general advice on how to tailor standard CASI procedures for surveys of special groups