Intercepts and In-Person

Intercepts , In-person Interviews and CAPI (Computer Assisted Personal Interviews) take place by interviewers going to locations where respondents are apt to be found, and requesting their participation. They are commonly used to gather data from respondents that would be difficult to find by any other method. Common examples include customers of specific restaurants and stores, or a businessperson in a trade show. Intercepts are often conducted in malls where it is easy to find potential respondents and easy to visually screen potential respondents by age or other characteristics.

CAPI or manually collected intercept surveys can often be fielded quickly. It is relatively easy to gather national data using the large number of available field service locations. Since intercepts are in person, almost anything can be tested: visual communications, video, and even food taste and texture. For more complex information gathering, it is common to screen a respondent then invite him/her to an adjacent facility for more precise interviewing. Intercepts can be completed on either paper forms that are data entered at a later time or with laptop computers.

Pros		Cons
By conducting the research where the respondents are, difficult to find respondents can be surveyed.		It is more difficult to monitor and control the quality of interviewing in the field.
Use of interviewers allows explanations and probing.		The cost of project management, on-site interviewing and respondent incentives are generally higher than for other methods, making this approach relatively costly.
Can be conducted relatively quickly; 2 weeks for a rush need, 4-6 weeks is more typical.		Interviews are generally shorter than other methods so the quantity of information collected can be limited.
Since field services exist across the country, the survey can be conducted anywhere.		Respondents will be patient for a much shorter time than on the phone.
Intercepts allow testing of visuals, tasting, etc.		Can be intrusive - respondents are interrupted and asked to participate. Must be done carefully so that they do not reflect poorly on the client.
It is easy to screen candidates by age or sex.
Random selection methods allow determination of the statistical accuracy of the data.