Description

INTTYPE indicates whether the interview was conducted over the phone or in person.

CATI interviews were first introduced in April of 1987, beginning with only 300 cases, gradually increasing to around 9,200 cases by 1995. In January of 1994, a new questionnaire designed for computer-assisted interviewing was introduced and all interviews were completed using CAPI or CATI.

The first and fifth interviews (MISH 1 and 5) are supposed to be done in person. However, despite the expectation that these interviews be conducted in person, many of them are still conducted by phone. For more information on modes of interview in the CPS, see Chapter 7 of Technical Paper 63RV, Current Population Survey Design and Methodology.

Users should note that the INTTYPE only reflects the last type of contact with a household, and therefore it may not be representative of how the majority of the data was collected. For example, an interviewer might get responses for a majority of household members during an in-person interview, and then fill in labor force information for one or two remaining household members in a follow-up telephone call.

Comparability

INTTYPE is comparable across available samples.

Before 1994 telephone interviews were sub-categorized as "regular" or "callback." Both of these categories have been recoded as telephone interviews.

From January 1994 to August 1995 CAPI interviews are subdivided into "Personal" and "Telephone" categories. It is unclear from the CPS documentation what exactly is intended by "CAPI (Telephone)". These cases have been recoded as telephone interviews.

Some empty households were coded as having been interviewed. These have been recoded to "Non-interview."

Additionally, some non-empty households were missing for this variable in the original data. These have been recoded to "Interview, type unspecified."

Universe

Flags

Unharmonized Variables

• UH_TYPINTX_B1
• UH_TYPINT_B1
• UH_TYPINT_B2
• UH_TYPINT_B3