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Face-to-Face Research (CAPI)

Taverner Research Group conducts in-person interviews using Computer-Assisted Personal Interviewing (CAPI). Trained interviewers guide participants through surveys on tablets to collect accurate, real-time responses.

Face to face research helps capture genuine reactions and deeper insights that online surveys can miss. It improves data quality, allows observation of emotions and behaviours, and makes it easier to reach specific audiences or locations.

What is Face-to-Face Research (CAPI)?

A face-to-face interview is a data collection method when the interviewer directly communicates with the respondent in correspondence with the prepared questionnaire. Interviews conducted in this manner are structured interviews conducted by trained interviewers.

The interviewer typically begins by introducing themselves and the purpose of the study and they will then ask questions related to the topic of interest to the researcher. The interviewer records answers on paper or in an electronic format, and all information is recorded accurately and completely. At the end of an interview, there will be an opportunity for participants to ask questions about the study or their role in it.

A common approach to face-to-face interviewing that many market research companies undertake is CAPI, which stands for Computer-Assisted Personal Interviewing. This is a form of face-to-face interviewing where the interviewer reads the survey questions from a tablet device and inputs the respondent’s answers directly.

A CAPI approach to face research can offer advantages in terms of reliability and quota control. It also limits the potential for interviewers to make routing errors within a survey. Furthermore, CAPI provides the opportunity for real-time data capture which will allow the client to monitor progress and receive the results as soon as the interviews are completed.

Why Conduct Face-to-Face Research?

One of the most obvious benefits of face-to-face research as opposed to over the phone or through a screen is allowing the interviewer to have the ability to interact directly with the participants and gauge their emotions.

Some of the other benefits of face-to-face research include but are not limited to:

  • Participants being able to test out products
  • Participants being more likely to keep focus than they would over the phone or online
  • The ability to put out visual prompts in front of people (e.g. concepts, images, videos, audio)
  • The ability to survey in specific geographic areas, and/or among specific target populations (e.g. Younger residents, First Nations people)
  • More accurate screening as the individual being interviewed is unable to provide false information during screening questions such as gender or race
  • Allowing the interviewer to provide support and further explanation of concepts, especially with complex topics
  • Enabling an incentive to be linked to the experience, encouraging further engagement with your company’s brand

How Can Taverner Help?

While there are a range of approaches to market research you can use yourself, you run the risk of measuring the wrong variables and with the wrong sample of individuals. You may also lose the benefit of objectivity from the analysis.

A successful market research agency skilled in face-to-face research can help you get the most out of your budget and help answer the questions that allow you to put the correct strategies in place post-evaluation.

This is where we can help. Taverner Research is a fully independent, full service Australian owned company and we have been conducting high-quality market and social research since 1995. We have national coverage including all main capital cites plus regional NSW coverage without the need to travel.

Face-to-face research is just one of the many forms of research that we carry out at a high level. The services we provide range from high level consulting with large scale methodology and strategic analysis through to data collection and desk research.

What is Involved in Face-to-Face Research?

Face-to-face research can be conducted in a variety of different ways depending on the sample, topic of interest and type of data that the researcher is looking to collect.

Types of face-to-face research include:

  • Exit or intercept surveys – These involve participants being interviewed with a structured questionnaire after they leave a specific location or event
  • Instore Interviews – These can be conducted at any point during a customer’s visit to a retailer or hospitality venue
  • Street Interviews – This involves interviewers positioning themselves in busy areas such as high streets and shopping malls and asking people passing by to participate rather than a pre organised meeting
  • In home surveys – A form of face-to-face research that involves a single moderator or team visiting a participant’s home to have a discussion about a particular topic

Conducting face-to-face interviews allows researchers to screen participants more accurately and be able to dig deeper into the responses obtained from participants.

Taverner Research Group’s consistently high standard when it comes to providing market research services make us a great option for face-to-face interviewing services. To find out more, contact us below.

CAPI FAQs

Why choose face to face research over online or phone surveys?

Face-to-face research allows for deeper engagement and higher quality responses. Interviewers can clarify questions, observe non-verbal cues and build trust with participants, leading to more accurate and detailed feedback.

What are the advantages of using CAPI for data collection?

Computer Assisted Personal Interviewing (CAPI) improves data accuracy and efficiency. It allows interviewers to record responses directly into a digital device, reducing errors, speeding up processing and supporting complex question logic.

How does CAPI enable targeting specific participant groups or locations?

CAPI technology allows researchers to pre-define quotas, set geographic boundaries and manage fieldwork in real time. This ensures that data is collected from the right people and locations, even across large or hard-to-reach areas.

What are the benefits of face-to-face research?

Face-to-face research typically produces richer insights, stronger engagement and higher response rates than online surveys. It is ideal for studies that explore sensitive topics, require detailed explanations or benefit from personal interaction.

Is telephone research still effective when so many homes no longer have landlines?

Yes. Modern telephone research includes both landline and mobile numbers, ensuring all groups in the community can be reached. Using random digit dialling and verified sample databases, researchers can contact participants across regions and demographics. This blended approach (typically around 80% mobile/20% landline) keeps telephone research highly effective and representative, even as landline use declines.

How can insights and findings be provided to me?

Taverner Research works in partnership with every client to deliver insights in a clear and practical way. We provide detailed reports, visual summaries and presentations that highlight what matters most to your organisation.

Before each project, we review past research to plan a more effective approach and reduce unnecessary complexity and cost. You’ll work directly with experienced researchers who stay closely involved throughout the process, offering a proactive and personalised experience. Clients often tell us they value how easy and enjoyable we are to work with.

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Have any questions? We’d love to hear from you