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The Telephone Interviewer's Handbook
Book

The Telephone Interviewer's Handbook

How to Conduct Standardized Conversations

Patricia A. Gwartney
Jossey-Bass, 2007

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Editorial Rating

8

Qualities

  • Innovative
  • Applicable

Recommendation

Being a telephone survey interviewer is tough, but the work is necessary. Many organizations use research data to gauge public opinion and make strategic decisions. However, people may resent calls that intrude into their private time at home, so they can react negatively when telephone interviewers call. Luckily sociologist Patricia A. Gwartney is here to help. This comprehensive guidebook compiles her findings from more than 30 years of experience as a survey analyst. She elaborates on how to conduct telephone surveys that get results and provides templates for tricky situations. Gwartney’s technical guide leaves no stone unturned. It fully explains even the most straightforward concepts in great detail with the aid of numerous tables (sometimes, too numerous for smooth reading). getAbstract recommends Gwartney’s essential manual to telephone interviewers and those who train them. This comprehensive handbook covers the field of telephone interviewing from Aabbott to Zymroz.

Take-Aways

  • Organizations of all kinds conduct telephone surveys to gather problem-solving data.
  • Telephone interviewers play a central role in accumulating accurate, representative research data by collecting answers to carefully planned questions.
  • Telephone interviewers must be professional and follow a strict ethics code.

About the Author

Patricia A. Gwartney teaches sociology at the University of Oregon, where she is associate head of the sociology department. She was the founding director of the University of Oregon Survey Research Laboratory (OSRL).

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