Government and private sector organizations need to collect large amounts of detailed information from a variety of individuals, on a variety of topics, in a variety of settings, for a variety of reasons, in a timely and cost-effective manner. These last two constraints have spurred interest in the development of computer-assisted data acquisition technologies. Implicit to this massive data collection and consumption is its accuracy: inaccurate data have zero, or negative, utility. However, most organizations substitute face-valid assumptions about its collection (e.g. that all of the subjects will be equally able and willing to provide the data) for more rigorous procedures. These assumptions are, at best, partially true. The Phase II objectives of this study are to continue to systematically explore and delineate those factors which assist or hinder the acquisition of data of varying sensitivity from low functioning, computer naive, questionably motivated, substance abusing individuals in a variety of non life-threatening settings, identify solutions to informational barriers, to further refine and evaluate (against a traditional face-to-face interview) the successful multi-media enhanced computer-assisted self-interview (CASI) prototype developed in Phase I, and to explore methods of streamlining the product development cycle.
