Comparing the efficiency of paper-based and electronic data capture during face-to-face interviews

Area of Science:

• Marine Biology
• Fisheries Science
• Survey Methodology

Background:

• On-site face-to-face surveys are common in scientific research.
• Electronic Data Capture (EDC) is increasingly adopted for cost-effectiveness and accuracy.
• Limited evaluation exists for EDC versus Paper-based Data Capture (PDC) in marine surveys.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the efficiency and accuracy of EDC and PDC methods.
• To evaluate EDC implementation in a coastal and marine survey context.
• To assess the cost-effectiveness of EDC in recreational fishing surveys.

Main Methods:

• A roving creel survey of recreational shore-based fishers in Western Australia.
• Direct comparison of EDC and PDC data capture techniques.
• Randomisation strategies to minimise bias in method comparison.

Main Results:

• EDC resulted in a lower error rate (3.1%) compared to PDC (5.1%).
• EDC demonstrated increased efficiency and decreased costs.
• The study confirmed EDC's suitability for randomised, stratified marine surveys.

Conclusions:

• EDC is a more accurate and efficient method than PDC for face-to-face surveys.
• EDC can be successfully implemented in coastal and marine environments.
• The findings are applicable to various disciplines utilizing face-to-face interviews for data collection.