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The contents related to Blaise are shown in the following sections:

Description

Blaise is a software tool for computer assisted data collection developed by Statistics Netherlands. It consists of several modules to perform data collections functions:

  • the scheduling of telephone contacts for CATI surveys (CATI Call Management System)
  • the questionnaire administration (Data Entry)
  • the assisted coding of free text answers  (Coding)

The calls scheduling is managed by an ad hoc module called CATI Call Management System. Generally speaking, it selects the telephone numbers (sample units) to be called in each survey day according to a call priority that depends on previous contact results and on the values of the scheduling parameters settled by the survey manager.

Scheduling parameters indicate how many times each phone number has to be tried before abandoning it. In particular, they indicate how many times not definitive contact results (busy, no one answer, appointment) have to be tried during the survey period before they get a definitive contact results (interviews, refusal , definitive interruptions).

The Data Entry module is an user interface for the questionnaire administration suitable for any kind of computer assisted data collection techniques. It allows to manage the screen layout, any question format and to organise the questionnaire in sections. Besides, it is possible to use interactive editing to manage consistency, coherency and routing checks. Error messages can be customised thus helping the interviewer and/or the respondent in filling in the questionnaire.

The assisted Coding module, based on sub-strings algorithms, supports three kinds of coding:

  • Hierarchical coding: it looks for the code following the tree structure of the classification, from the highest levels (branches) to the lowest ones (leaves). It can be used only for hierarchical classifications.
  • Alphabetical or trigram coding: it looks for the code directly using the input text, making partial matches based on sub-strings of texts called bigram or trigrams or based on the alphabetical order.
  • Mixed coding: it looks for code making an alphabetical or trigram search inside the selected classification level.

Information

Status: validated
Author: Statistics Netherlands
GSBPM code: 3.1 Build collection instrument
4.2 Set up collection
4.3 Run collection
4.4 Finalise collection
5.2 Classify and code
Keywords: CAPI, CATI, CADI, scheduler, assisted coding

Software and documentation

To get the Blaise software as well as the methodological and technical documentation, please contact Statistics Netherlands.

OTHER DOCUMENTATION

Last edit: 19 November 2020