Recent developments in computer hardware 3nd software are making it an increasingly attractive proposition to carry out household travel-related surveys on personal computers, at a time when demands are growing for more sophisticated and complex surveys that tax to the limit the conventional manual, pen and paper methods. With the latest generation of portable computers, it is feasible to interview on-mode as well as in the home. Most computer-based survey applications in the area of travel behaviour have been in stated preference surveys, where the need to personalise and customise interviews means that part of the questionnaire has to be designed on site during the interview. Computers not only enable this customisation to be carried out to a greater degree than could be done manually, but they also open up other possibilities. Very complex questionnaire structures can be used, since the interviewer only has to handle the relevant sections; the large storage capacity of modern machines means that detailed street or public transport information can be accessed easily; range and logic checks can be carried out as data are entered, and more sophisticated probes can be added; the order of presentation of options can be randomised, and interviews can be made adaptive (i.e. the responses to choice options in stated preference questions are used to construct later options). By using a good quality screen, it is also possible to make use of computer graphics to express complex concepts, or simulate the operation of dynamic transport information systems. This paper discusses the advantages, and some limitations, of using computers in personal interviewing, and presents a number of examples in more detail. What started out as a method for carrying out conventional interviews in a more efficient and reliable way is rapidly becoming a medium of communication in its own right, opening up new possibilities for enquiring into complex aspects of household travel behaviour.
Samenvatting