Westat's substantial supervisory and interviewing resources have been applied to nationwide in-person studies involving as many as 100,000 respondents over multiple rounds of interviewing. Our survey operations staff is expert in tailoring interviewer training and survey management methods to the needs of each study. Regional field supervisors direct the work of our experienced interviewers. Our computerized interviewer file shows the availability, experience, and performance of 5,000 interviewers throughout the United States, enabling us to staff new projects quickly and efficiently.
On most studies, data collectors use laptop personal computers for computer-assisted personal interviewing (CAPI) and audio computer-assisted self-interviewing (ACASI). These technologies enable interviewers to collect more complex information than was practical with hard-copy methods and to deliver it more accurately and more quickly. To meet the needs of complex government surveys, Westat has developed and maintains a software system called Cheshire and is also a leading user of the Blaise survey system. Both the Cheshire system and the Blaise system are integrated with our computerized Field Operations and Management Systems, which handle the assignment of cases to interviewers, provide reliable and secure transmission of confidential survey data, and yield timely information for monitoring interviewer performance and directing the overall survey effort.
Telephone surveys play an important role in Westat's research and in the followup of mail and in-person surveys. We have actively supported research and experimentation to develop efficient procedures for random digit dialing (RDD) sampling and new training techniques for improving interview quality.
Our Telephone Research Center (TRC) operates a nationwide network of nine telephone interviewing locations that enable us to maintain a qualified and experienced workforce and take advantage of time zone differences in scheduling calls. Westat's interviewing capacity of approximately 400 stations enables us to deliver 25,000 to 35,000 hours of interviewing each week, depending on the mix of calling times that is most productive. Each interviewing station, regardless of its geographic location, operates as part of a single "virtual TRC" managed from our Rockville home office; this capability enables us to add and supervise an ample supply of qualified interviewers to meet project requirements.
All the facilities have complete computer-assisted telephone interviewing (CATI) capability, including our customized software systems for scheduling, interviewing, and data handling. They use high-speed data networks, centralized voice and data monitoring, and proven training and management techniques. A single database is used to monitor and direct the interviewers working on a project at all centers. The Scheduler, a computerized survey control system, makes interviewer assignments, records the disposition of sample cases, and helps survey managers monitor performance.
We conduct large-scale telephone surveys on a wide range of topics with a variety of respondents. Under a U.S. Department of Education contract, for example, we have screened 60,000 households and administered questionnaires to as many as 35,000 persons for studies of school readiness, adult education, and school safety and discipline.
Westat is doing pioneering work on Interactive Voice Response (IVR) applications that interact with callers, simulating natural conversation. The system poses questions, which the caller answers by speaking through the telephone. The system can understand the caller's responses and store them in a computer database. Westat's work in this area has helped demonstrate the feasibility of IVR technologies where needed in large data collection efforts.
Web-based data collection provides an additional way for respondents to communicate information and survey responses. Westat has developed and implemented numerous web-based surveys, sometimes in combination with mail and/or telephone. We have experience with the design, security, and communication issues involved.
Self-administered mail surveys are a cost-effective way to collect data from individuals and establishments. Westat staff design questionnaires that elicit high-quality information in a format that minimizes respondent burden and maximizes response rates. Mail surveys also require careful attention to the specification and development of the lists from which samples are selected, experience with a broad array of tracing sources and procedures, as well as protocols, clearances, and followup to obtain high rates of cooperation.
Westat has the experience and the full range of facilities to perform these tasks efficiently—including computerized mailout and receipt control systems, advanced optical scanning equipment for efficient data capture, and dedicated key-entry stations for processing written information. We have conducted mail surveys of up to 90,000 respondents (e.g., private and public sector employees, nurses, teachers, and military personnel), as well as smaller, complex surveys of businesses (e.g., manufacturers and utilities).
Westat's health and environmental studies often require the collection of physical examination data (blood pressure, anthropometric measurements, x-rays, hearing, and many other medical tests), biologic specimens (blood, saliva, urine, and tissue samples), and environmental samples and measurements (dust, soil, water, air, paint, building materials, and electromagnetic field and radon measurements). Our staff develops specialized protocols for collecting, preparing, and shipping specimens and recording physical measurements. Detailed training programs and rigorous quality control measures ensure standardization and adherence to protocol. We also collaborate with the specialized laboratories conducting assays of samples to develop quality control, data management, and analysis plans.
Westat has many years of experience coordinating and monitoring the work of on-site data collectors, such as clinical center staff and laboratory personnel, who are participating in a multicenter study. We typically design and deliver specialized training programs and implement rigorous quality control activities and regular site monitoring visits to ensure strict adherence to the data collection protocol. Specially designed survey management and distributed data entry systems provide Westat's home office staff with complete and timely information, such as subject enrollment, case disposition, and response rates at geographically distant sites. We monitor compliance with Federal regulatory requirements, track the shipment of biospecimens and experimental drugs, and perform adverse experience surveillance and reporting.
Many of Westat's studies require the collection of information from the officials and record systems of institutions and businesses. We have been highly successful in negotiating for the cooperation of institutions and individuals, obtaining consent for data collection, and developing and implementing procedures for collecting and processing many types of records. We have developed protocols for mapping the relevant structure of an organization in order to efficiently collect record data from more than one source within an organization. These surveys draw upon our nationwide network of field interviewers and supervisors, our computer-based field management systems, and our extensive experience in training and supervising field staff.
