Virtual Assisted Self Interviewing (VASI): An Expansion of Survey Data Collection Methods to the Virtual Worlds by Means of VDCI

26 Pages Posted: 29 Sep 2009

See all articles by Mark W. Bell

Mark W. Bell

Indiana University Bloomington - Department of Telecommunications

Edward Castronova

Indiana University

Gert G. Wagner

German Institute for Economic Research (DIW Berlin); Berlin University of Technology; German Socio-Economic Panel Study (SOEP)

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Date Written: June 1, 2009

Abstract

Changes in communication technology have allowed for the expansion of data collection modes in survey research. The proliferation of the computer has allowed the creation of web and computer assisted auto-interview data collection modes. Virtual worlds are a new application of computer technology that once again expands the data collection modes by VASI (Virtual Assisted Self Interviewing). The Virtual Data Collection Interface (VDCI) developed at Indiana University in collaboration with the German Socio-Economic Panel Study (SOEP) allows survey researchers access to the population of virtual worlds in fully immersive Heads-up Display (HUD)-based survey instruments. This expansion needs careful consideration for its applicability to the researcher’s question but offers a high level of data integrity and expanded survey availability and automation. Current open questions of the VASI method are an optimal sampling frame and sampling procedures within e. g. a virtual world like Second Life (SL). Further multimodal studies are proposed to aid in evaluating the VDCI and placing it in context of other data collection modes.

Keywords: Interviewing Mode, PAPI, CAPI, CASI, VASI, VDCI, Second Life

JEL Classification: C81, C88, C93, Y8

Suggested Citation

Bell, Mark W. and Castronova, Edward and Wagner, Gert G., Virtual Assisted Self Interviewing (VASI): An Expansion of Survey Data Collection Methods to the Virtual Worlds by Means of VDCI (June 1, 2009). German Council for Social and Economic Data (RatSWD) Research Notes No. 39, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=1480250 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.1480250

Mark W. Bell (Contact Author)

Indiana University Bloomington - Department of Telecommunications ( email )

1229 East 7th Street
Bloomington, IN 47405
United States

Edward Castronova

Indiana University ( email )

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Bloomington, IN 47405
United States

Gert G. Wagner

German Institute for Economic Research (DIW Berlin) ( email )

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HOME PAGE: http://www.diw.de/programme/jsp/MA.jsp?language=en&uid=gwagner

Berlin University of Technology ( email )

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German Socio-Economic Panel Study (SOEP) ( email )

DIW Berlin
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Germany
+49 30 8978 9290 (Phone)
+49 30 8978 9109 (Fax)

HOME PAGE: http://www.diw/en/soep

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