Marketing Research and Insight Glossary

Definitions, common uses and explanations of 1,500+ key market research terms and phrases.

What is Computer-Aided Telephone Interviewing (CATI)?

Research Topics:
Political Polling | Quantitative Research | Software-CATI (Telephone Interviewing)
Content Type:
Glossary
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Computer-Aided Telephone Interviewing (CATI) Definition

Interviewer-administered telephone surveying using a computer-based questionnaire.

Computer-aided telephone interviewing, or CATI, is the process of using computer software to facilitate telephone-based marketing research interviews. It involves a structured questionnaire presented to respondents. The interviewer records answers directly into the software, which helps streamline data collection and management. The method can be adapted to various survey complexities and allows for real-time monitoring of data quality. CATI can be cost-effective compared to in-person interviews.

Who relies on CATI?

Market researchers, polling organizations and businesses conducting consumer market surveys use CATI when they seek to reach a specific target audience and gather structured data.

Why should I care about CATI?

CATI allows researchers to reach a geographically dispersed audience, ensuring diverse data. What’s more, the process provides participants a convenient way to share opinions without needing to attend in-person sessions.