Study title

Abstract copyright UK Data Service and data collection copyright owner.This survey was carried out by the National Centre for Social Research (now NatCen Social Research) and the University of Essex with funding from the Economic and Social Research Council. The interviewer survey was part of an effort to improve understanding of the survey response process, and in particular the role that face-to-face interviewers play in achieving acceptable response rates. The sample consisted of 1,478 interviewers who had worked on Computer-Assisted Personal Interviewing (CAPI) projects between January 2006 and March 2008. Nearly a quarter of selected interviewers were known to have stopped working for NatCen. The overall response rate was 81%, with 1,198 valid cases. The response rate was higher among those interviewers still working at NatCen compared to those known to have stopped (85% and 69% respectively). The forthcoming survey was announced in the NatCen Interviewer Newsletters of February, March and April 2008. The 12-page questionnaire was sent via post on 28 April 2008 with a covering letter and a £5 gift voucher. Current NatCen interviewers were reminded to return the completed questionnaire via three electronic messages sent to them when they logged on to the host machine to either pick up addresses or to transmit survey data back to head office. Ex-NatCen interviewers were unable to receive these electronic messages and were therefore sent a postcard reminder on 7 May 2008. The topics covered in the survey were overall interviewing experience and job expectations, as well as job support and satisfaction, particular to working for NatCen. The survey also asked about availability to conduct interviews during a typical week and persistence when encountering reluctant respondents. The bulk of the survey assessed personality traits of the interviewers, focusing on the 'Big 5' but incorporating related personality assessments. No demographic items were included...