Telephone still viable during this challenging time.

At a time when F2F research has become unviable, telephone research is once again proving its worth. CATI researchers are reporting improved response levels over recent weeks, as bored and housebound respondents welcome any distraction.

CATI is also providing access to socially isolated households, and remains perfect for targeting specific geographic regions.  And with a fast-growing sampling frame set of mobile and age-specific telephone numbers, CATI has finally turned the corner in its ability to reach younger Australians.

Telephone research is also important for the economy in terms of maintaining employment for a significant number of casual employees who would otherwise be out of work.

Finally, a number of CATI firms have the technical ability to allow telephone researchers to work from home – while still maintaining ISO monitoring standards. This mean that CATI can continue to operate even if physical call centres cannot.

So while some forms of research have wound down for the time being, CATI has never been busier – or more important.

Michael Trigwell – Taverner Research