Jingle all the way! SWS makes field interviewers wear adult diapers for face-to-face surveys

The Social Weather Stations (SWS) is back to conducting face-to-face surveys despite the threat of COVID-19, its president, Mahar Mangahas, said Saturday (September 5).

In his Philippine Daily Inquirer column, Mangahas said SWS has made changes to ensure the safety of field interviewers (FIs) when they face respondents. These include requiring FIs to wear face masks, face shields, caps, and long-sleeved shirts. They also have hand sanitizers and non-contact thermometers.

One of the most drastic changes, however, includes making FIs wear adult diapers.

“A new difficulty is the lack of public rest-rooms. FIs cannot impose on the hospitality of the Rs (respondents), as before. Fewer food shops allow people to use the restroom, having switched to pure take-out service. One solution is to supply FIs with adult diapers,” Mangahas shared.

Despite the difficulties faced by FIs, Mangahas said face-to-face surveying is still the “tried and tested mode” for probability sampling.

“Some indicators, like Self-Reported Poverty and ladder-scaled Happiness, involve visual aids that are meant for Rs to see, not to be told about. Surveying them cannot be done by phone, but must be done face to face,” he said.

SWS had to resort to conducting surveys through mobile phones when Metro Manila and various provinces were placed under strict lockdown in March.

The post Jingle all the way! SWS makes field interviewers wear adult diapers for face-to-face surveys first appeared on Latest Philippine politics news today.

Source: Latest Politics News Today (Politics.com.ph)