All interviewers are required to complete a sequence of structured training sessions provided by CPRC staff and outside consultants.  Training involves theory and practice in standardized survey interviewing techniques, covering the full range of critical interviewing skills and knowledge, including general interviewing techniques, probing, refusal conversions, quality issues in scientific research, ethics and confidentiality issues. Each trainee is provided with a package of written training materials covering of these areas, as well as general protocols for call back procedures, refusal conversion, subject tracking and so forth.  Further introductory scripts and question by question scripts developed specially for each survey are provided, and candidates conduct supervised role-play interviews as part of the training process.   Upon completion of the training, each person undergoes a formal process of "certification" by two senior telephone supervisors.  The certification process involves conducting interviews with survey center supervisors, who rate and evaluate each person on interviewing technique and clerical accuracy. Satisfactory completion of the certification process is a prerequisite to hiring.

Contact the Survey Center at:

• (401) 874-2830 
• FAX (401) 874-5562

Find out more about the Survey Center:

The Organization
Physical & Operational Characteristics
Survey Management
Sample Management
Tracking
Peak Times
Optical Scanner
Interviewer Recruitment and Training
Quality Assurance Procedures
Mail Survey and Expert System Processing Unit