Original Research

The development of telephone interviewing as a tool in marketing research: A survey of the literature

Hazel T. Suchard
South African Journal of Business Management | Vol 16, No 3 | a1088 | DOI: https://doi.org/10.4102/sajbm.v16i3.1088 | © 2018 Hazel T. Suchard | This work is licensed under CC Attribution 4.0
Submitted: 23 October 2018 | Published: 30 September 1985

About the author(s)

Hazel T. Suchard, Department of Business Economics, University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa

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Abstract

This article is a historical overview of the development of telephone interviewing from the time of Gallup (1929) till today. Several advantages (such as costs, decreased risk and time, flexibility of research plan, etc.) and disadvantages (such as lack of visual interviewing aids, limitation of survey frame to subscribers) associated with telephone interviewing are described. Telephone sampling methods such as alphabetical lists and random digit dialing are discussed. Questionnaire design is emphasized and methods of developing the questionnaire and formulating questions are described. Computer control, voice pitch analysis, response latency, and non-contact and refusal rates are all discussed. Protection of privacy and maintenance of confidentiality are emphasized. The article concludes that professional telephone surveys are here to stay but are likely to face the obstacle of government regulation.

Hierdie artikel is 'n historiese oorsig van die ontwikkeling van telefoononderhoud vanaf die tyd van Gallup (1929) tot vandag. Verskeie voordele (soos koste, verminderde tydsverbruik en risiko, aanpasbaarheid van die navorsingsplan, ens.) sowel as nadele (soos die tekort aan visuele ondersteuningsmateriaal, en die tekort van 'n navorsingsraamwerk vir die verbruiker) word beskryf. Metodes om 'n verteenwoordigende steekproef te trek, soos alfabetiese lyste en ewekansige nommers, word bespreek. Die klem word veral op die ontwerp van bruikbare vraelyste gele en metodes van vraelys-formulering en vraagformaat word voorgestel. Rekenaarbeheer, stemhoogte-analise, latente respons-patrone, nie-kontak en die voorkoms van wegwysing word ook verder uitgelig. Verder word etiese aspekte soos die beskerming van privaatheid en die behoud van vertroulikheid ook onderstreep. Hierdie oorsigsartikel wys daarop dat telefoonopnames waarskynlik blywend sal wees maar dat regulasies vanaf die regering waarskynlik toenemend beperkend sal inwerk op die gebruik van hierdie bemarkingsmedia.


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Crossref Citations

1. Women’s perceptions of telephone interviews about their experiences with childbirth care in Nigeria: A qualitative study
Nasir Umar, Zelee Hill, Joanna Schellenberg, Özge Tuncalp, Moise Muzigaba, Nuraddeen Umar Sambo, Abdulrahman Shuaibu, Tanya Marchant, Hannah Tappis
PLOS Global Public Health  vol: 3  issue: 4  first page: e0001833  year: 2023  
doi: 10.1371/journal.pgph.0001833