As you consider how to design and implement your questionnaire, think about its mode of delivery, or how you’ll get it to participants. Survey modes can be broken up into two main groups: self-guided surveys and interviewer-guided surveys. Both mode have their own strengths and weaknesses depending on what is being researched, the types of questions being asked, and how much time and money is available.
In a self-guided survey, the respondents record their own responses to the questionnaire without the live assistance of a researcher.
Self-guided surveys allow participants to complete the survey in a safe space and at a time that is convenient for them. However, self-guided surveys may have lower response rates. Self-guided surveys can be implemented in two different ways—either through the mail or online.
In an interviewer-guided survey, researchers guide participants through a survey.
Interviewer-guided surveys have higher response rates than self-guided ones because people are much more likely to engage with a person in real-time. Participants are also more likely to complete the whole survey when it’s guided by an interviewer. However, participants many not want to respond to questions about sensitive topics. These types of surveys can also take longer to complete. Interviewer-guided surveys take the form of either face-to-face surveys or phone surveys.
The video below from Elon University offers a brief overview of the core survey modes, and some questions you should keep in mind when selecting a survey mode.
Is an interviewer-guided survey an interview?
In the context of survey administration, the terms interview and interviewer are referring to the list of questions (i.e., the questionnaire) and the person who asks the questions (often the researcher). This is not to be confused with a semistructured or unstructured interview like you might see on the news. To learn more about conducting interviews for social science research, check out the Interview Module.
Personal Project
To determine what type of survey to use, think about the best way to reach your population of interest. Does your population likely have access to a computer? Will they respond to a stranger on the street?
In addition, consider the time and resources you have to conduct your research.
Take some time to think through these questions before you dive into the details of the different modes of surveys. Keep reading to find more information, including the advantages and disadvantages, of each type. As you read, think about what mode of survey will work best for your research.
