Field Data Collector Video/Slideshow Transcript
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The Job of a Westat Data Collector
Music plays.
The video opens with scenes of Westat's headquarters, then images that suggest the complexity of modern life as we hear: We live in a complex world with an ever growing need for information.
Now images of legislative activity and research designers are combined with images that illustrate various research areas.
The narrator says:
Research surveys help meet this need by providing important data which are used to understand and guide public policies. Westat data collectors are a link between decision-makers who help make the policies and the people these policies affect. Our company is a national leader in the fields of research design, data collection, and data analysis. Government agencies contract with us to work in a variety of settings on topics such as:
- health;
- employment;
- social services;
- housing;
- education;
- transportation;
- and the environment.
For the rest of the video, we see field data collector activities while the narrator describes the work data collectors do.
In most surveys, we gather information by conducting interviews. A research interview is a structured conversation between the data collector - who uses a questionnaire to ask a series of questions - and a respondent - who answers the questions. Depending on the survey, the interview may be done in-person or on the phone. Asking questions and recording answers may seem simple... but there is a lot more to the job.
Our data collectors locate and contact the right respondent, communicate the importance of the survey, secure the respondent's cooperation, administer the questionnaire according to survey procedures - and do this all in a consistent, reliable, and considerate way.
The initial interaction with a respondent is when you have the opportunity to build a relationship and establish rapport. It typically takes less than a minute. Yet, it's in this brief time that the respondent "sizes you up" and decides whether or not to participate in the survey.
To help ensure your success, Westat provides a comprehensive training program. You'll learn survey procedures and how to collect quality data before speaking with any respondents. By the end of training, you'll have basic interviewing skills, and know how and when to apply them. You'll be knowledgeable about your survey and able to successfully engage respondents.
Data collection is a critical part of every survey's success. And the job of a Westat data collector can be rewarding and enjoyable.
Apply today to become part of the Westat data collection team!