CATI is one of the most popular methods in Market Research for data collection. It stands for ‘Computer Assisted Telephone Interviewing’.

Meaning:

CATI is a method of conducting research on the basis of an online questionnaire  set up on a computer screen, which the interviewer asks to respondents and the responses given are filled-in in the questionnaire. In market research, CATI is basically a telephonic interview based on an online questionnaire – be it B2B or consumer. The data or responses of the participants are input directly on to a system, which can be analysed later.  

ADVANTAGES OF CATI

• The primary advantage of CATI research is that the there is accuracy in the data collection.
• CATI research data is automatically stored in the system. This way it saves time in transferring data from paper to digital copies.  This helps to reduce cost and errors.
• For conducting global research, CATI is very useful as participants can be  reached through phone anywhere in the world.
• CATI research removes the potential for human error.
• The interviewing process is much quicker because data is entered as it is obtained
• The responses of each call can be viewed in real time. This is of great help  in terms of project management.

DISADVANTAGES OF CATI RESEARCH

• You often have to avoid discussing certain sensitive subjects over the phone.
• Getting a questionnaire set up and running, fault free, on a CATI system is time taking. But once the set-up is created, then the process becomes quick. 
• Coping with open-ended responses, capturing the reponses require interviewers to have fast and accurate typing skills.
• If a respondent makes changes to question answered earlier through the interview, it is more difficult to return and make changes than is the case with paper questionnaires.
• Reaching some target audiences using telephone interviewing is becoming more difficult.