Data Collection
"Hi, I am an interviewer at the Statistical Office of the Republic of Slovenia”
SURS cooperates with about 80 field interviewers per year. They are well-trained external collaborators who are a very important link in the data preparation chain. What is their work like?
High-quality data are key to producing statistics. SURS obtains data in several ways, including through field surveys, where highly trained interviewers are crucial. SURS cooperates with about 80 field interviewers per year, but when larger, multi-annual surveys are conducted, more than 100 may participate.
What does an average day of a field interviewer look like?
An interviewer’s work can last a whole day. They leave for the field around 9 am, and usually finish interviewing in the afternoon or even in the evening. After completing the interviews, they also arrange all the documents and transmit the data to the office.
Many things can happen in the field. The interviewer may meet friendly people who sometimes treat them to something to less friendly who refuse to cooperate. Sometimes they have to manage situations where it is difficult to reach the respondents, solving the problem with ingenuity and communication, so that they usually find a way to the respondents.
Good preparation is the interviewer's recipe for success
Before starting work, every interviewer must attend training, where they become familiar with all the details of the survey. There, they learn about the purpose of the survey, the questions, the legal basis, the deadlines, acting in different situations, and the importance of data collection.
Before going to the field, the interviewer receives a list of respondents so that they can study the terrain, plan their route, and think about how they will approach the respondents. They prepare all the necessary equipment: the list of respondents, the identification card, the notification letter (just in case the respondent misplaced it), the laptop, and the mobile phone (the batteries must be full).
The interviewer must also prepare mentally. In the field, they will meet different people, so they must be communicative, patient, and resourceful. It is important that they are able to find their way in any situation and maintain a positive attitude. Preparation for the field is therefore of key importance for a field interviewer.
They encounter different challenges in the field
One of the major challenges that interviewers face is often access to households. Some houses are surrounded by fences, doorbells do not work, there are dogs in the gardens, blocks of flats have locked entrances, etc. People are increasingly distrustful, so interviewers must make an effort to gain the trust of respondents. They also regularly face refusals to cooperate, rude remarks, and impatient respondents. In such moments, it is important to remain calm and try to end the conversation in the friendliest way possible.
More than just interviewing
The work of field interviewers is not just about collecting data. They are an indispensable part of the Statistical Office, as their work significantly contributes to high-quality data and statistics that are crucial for understanding society, the economy, and the environment. Together with respondents, they help to create statistics.
What does an average day of a field interviewer look like?
An interviewer’s work can last a whole day. They leave for the field around 9 am, and usually finish interviewing in the afternoon or even in the evening. After completing the interviews, they also arrange all the documents and transmit the data to the office.
Many things can happen in the field. The interviewer may meet friendly people who sometimes treat them to something to less friendly who refuse to cooperate. Sometimes they have to manage situations where it is difficult to reach the respondents, solving the problem with ingenuity and communication, so that they usually find a way to the respondents.
Good preparation is the interviewer's recipe for success
Before starting work, every interviewer must attend training, where they become familiar with all the details of the survey. There, they learn about the purpose of the survey, the questions, the legal basis, the deadlines, acting in different situations, and the importance of data collection.
Before going to the field, the interviewer receives a list of respondents so that they can study the terrain, plan their route, and think about how they will approach the respondents. They prepare all the necessary equipment: the list of respondents, the identification card, the notification letter (just in case the respondent misplaced it), the laptop, and the mobile phone (the batteries must be full).
The interviewer must also prepare mentally. In the field, they will meet different people, so they must be communicative, patient, and resourceful. It is important that they are able to find their way in any situation and maintain a positive attitude. Preparation for the field is therefore of key importance for a field interviewer.
They encounter different challenges in the field
One of the major challenges that interviewers face is often access to households. Some houses are surrounded by fences, doorbells do not work, there are dogs in the gardens, blocks of flats have locked entrances, etc. People are increasingly distrustful, so interviewers must make an effort to gain the trust of respondents. They also regularly face refusals to cooperate, rude remarks, and impatient respondents. In such moments, it is important to remain calm and try to end the conversation in the friendliest way possible.
More than just interviewing
The work of field interviewers is not just about collecting data. They are an indispensable part of the Statistical Office, as their work significantly contributes to high-quality data and statistics that are crucial for understanding society, the economy, and the environment. Together with respondents, they help to create statistics.
Pri uporabi podatkov in informacij Statističnega urada RS vedno navedite: "Vir: SURS".
Več: Avtorske pravice.
Več: Avtorske pravice.
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