Introduction

What is CAPI?

CAPI (Computer Assisted Personal Interviewing) is built on the Forsta Plus platform. This enables the same advanced and sophisticated capabilities typical to online surveys to be used for offline face-to-face field work or for self-completion of surveys. Multimedia elements such as advertising commercials, complex survey logic, advanced quota control and multilingual interviewing can be included in the surveys.

The Forsta Plus platform enables businesses to conduct projects on both CAPI and CAWI using different samples running in parallel and thus increase their audience. Surveys and reports are designed and managed on the same integrated platform, enabling organizations to choose the preferred method of mixed mode data collection that best supports their particular business and/or methodology objectives.

Note: This documentation describes the setting up and use of the CAPI App. The procedures are essentially the same for Windows, Android and iOS devices, though there may be some minor differences. For further information on setting up surveys for the CAPI App and interviewer management, refer to CAPI Administration documentation.

What is the CAPI App?

The CAPI app is an application in which the interviewer conducts the surveys. The application can be installed in Windows, Android or iOS-based devices, and it gives access to Forsta Plus surveys that are deployed by a CAPI supervisor and assigned to an interviewer. It provides full control of these surveys (start, stop, cancel and restart interviews). The interviewer device offers a secure login-based interface and secure and encrypted storage of response data.

Interviewers connect to the internet before commencing their field work, to synchronize new or updated surveys. They can reconnect during the field work or on completion to synchronize the response data with the central Forsta Plus platform.

Note: If scripting is to be used in the survey, JavaScript must be used. In Professional Authoring, go to the survey’s Survey Settings > General Options tab and check the “Use JavaScript scripting engine box”. Refer to the Professional Authoring documentation for further information.