A Pilot Test of the Use of Telephone Methods to Survey Active Army Personnel

This paper reports on the results of the first pilot international telephone survey of Army personnel. The objective of the pilot survey was to assess the feasibility of using telephone methods for surveying active Army personnel. The results represent a new development in the field of survey methodology. In the civilian sector, telephone methods have offered numerous advantages over in-person and mail surveys, including shorter time periods for data collection and improved quality control over the interview process. Despite these benefits, the feasibility of conducting telephone surveys in the military community has been unclear. This paper discusses the methodology that was developed for conducting a telephone survey of Army personnel and explains how it was implemented. The methodology is then evaluated using several criteria. The results indicate that telephone methods offer a viable alternative to more traditional methods commonly used to survey military personnel. (Author) This article is from 'Proceedings of the Symposium: Psychology in the Department of Defense (9th) Held at Colorado Springs, Colorado on 18-20 April 1984', AD-A141 043, p470-474.