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Blaise® Capabilities


 

Blaise® is a comprehensive survey processing system that provides complete support for computer-assisted survey needs. Blaise offers a number of capabilities to meet the demands of today's automated surveys.

Survey Developer Features

As a development system, Blaise is suitable for survey organizations of any size. Blaise's powerful programming language and integrated tools offer numerous features:

  • Modular field and block-oriented code promotes reuse and ease of maintenance.
  • Parallel blocks support nonlinear progression of an interview.
  • Built-in data coding support and external file lookups provide multiple lookup methods, including hierarchical, alphabetical, trigram, or combinations of methods.
  • Selective checking mechanism checks all appropriate rules throughout the interview, ensuring data integrity.
  • Provides integration with other programs either through Dynamic Link Libraries (DLLs) or through Open Blaise Architecture.
  • Developer's environment includes online help and tools for testing.
  • Comprehensive documentation provides "how to" information and practical examples.
  • Provides support for large databases with many levels of hierarchy.
  • Provides data export for statistical or database packages.
  • Screens are automatically generated with developer-prescribed formats.
  • Metadata approach allows for efficient updating and maintenance of instruments.
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Interviewer, Data Editing, and Data Capture Features

Blaise provides a multimode user interface for Windows and Web applications that supports a variety of survey processing needs and offers the following features:

  • The same Blaise instrument can be used in any mode (e.g., computer-assisted personal interviewing [CAPI], computer-assisted telephone interviewing [CATI], data editing).
  • Page-based presentation facilitates interviewer navigation.
  • Blaise rules allow interview flow specification, ranging from simple linear to complex and nonlinear flow.
  • Multiple interviewer navigation methods provide flexibility while interviewing.
  • Behavior mode settings control details of system behavior for each group of users.
  • Language can be changed with a few keystrokes for multilingual instruments.
  • Remarks can be entered at any point in the interview and can be recalled and viewed.
  • Survey-specific user help can be implemented using WinHelp.
  • Users can exit and restart interviews at any point.
  • Nondestructive backup allows interviewers to efficiently backup and move forward while interviewing.
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Survey Manager Features

Blaise supports survey management with the following features:

  • Reports track survey progress, missing sample, and other survey management items.
  • The CATI Call Management System supports time zones, time slices, quotas, groups of interviewers, and supports strategies for improving productivity and response rates.
  • CAPI laptop management systems can be developed using the Maniplus module.
  • Programmatic "hooks" enable interfacing with external survey management systems at any point in the interview.
  • Large and complex instruments can be developed and maintained economically using the Blaise Programming Language.
  • Proven interviewer interface promotes accurate collection of data, thereby reducing the level of post-interview processing.

Blaise Brochure brochure.pdf** (639 KB PDF file)

The Blaise Brochure is an electronic version of a full-color product brochure explaining the capabilities of Blaise, including illustrative Blaise screens. (See the Blaise Documentation Page for more information about Blaise.)

This document is in PDF format. Users who do not already have it will need to download Adobe's Acrobat Reader [*] and PlugIn to view PDF files from within a web browser. Acrobat and the Acrobat logo are trademarks of Adobe Systems Inc.

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