Web Survey Bibliography
For survey researchers, it is common practice to use the check-all question format in Web and mail surveys but to convert to the forced-choice question format in telephone surveys. The assumption underlying this practice is that respondents will answer the two formats similarly. In this research note we report results from 16 experimental comparisons in two Web surveys and a paper survey conducted in 2002 and 2003 that test whether the check-all and forced-choice formats produce similar results. In all 16 comparisons, we find that the two question formats do not perform similarly; respondents endorse more options and take longer to answer in the forced-choice format than in the check-all format. These findings suggest that the forced-choice question format encourages deeper processing of response options and, as such, is preferable to the check-all format, which may encourage a weak satisficing response strategy. Additional analyses show that neither acquiescence bias nor item nonresponse seem to pose substantial problems for use of the forced-choice question format in Web surveys.
Web Survey Bibliography - Smyth, J. D. (32)
- The effects of item saliency and question design on measurement error in a self-administered survey; 2012; Stern, M. J., Smyth, J. D., Mendez, J.
- Does Giving People Their Preferred Survey Mode Actually Increase Survey Participation Rates?; 2012; Olson, K., Smyth, J. D., Wood, H.
- Turn that Frown Upside-Down: The Effects of Smiley Faces as Symbolic Language in Self-administered Surveys...; 2012; Libman, A., Smyth, J. D.
- Literacy and Data Quality in Self-Administered Surveys; 2011; Smyth, J. D., Olson, K.
- Medium Node: NSF Census Research Network; 2011; McCutcheon, A. L., Belli, R. F., Olson, K., D.; Smyth, J. D., Soh, L.-K.
- Internet Survey Methods: A Review of Strengths, Weaknesses, and Innovations; 2010; Smyth, J. D., Pearson, J. E.
- Using the Internet to Survey Small Towns and Communities: Limitations and Possibilities in the Early...; 2010; Smyth, J. D., Dillman, D. A., Christian, L. M., O'Neill, A. C.
- Response format effects on measurement of employment; 2009; Thomas, R. K., Dillman, D. A., Smyth, J. D.
- Open-Ended Questions in Web Surveys: Can Increasing the Size of Answer Boxes and Providing Extra Verbal...; 2009; Smyth, J. D., Dillman, D. A., Christian, L. M., McBride, M.
- ...; 2008; Dillman, D. A., Smyth, J. D., Christian, L. M., O'Neill, A. C.
- The Effects of Mode and Format on Answers to Scalar Questions in Telephone and Web Surveys; 2008; Christian, L. M., Dillman, D. A., D.Smyth, J. D.
- Internet, Mail, and Mixed-Mode Surveys: The Tailored Design Method ; 2008; Dillman, D. A., Christian, L. M., Smyth, J. D.
- Combining Mail and Internet Methods to Conduct Household Surveys of the General Public: A New Methodology...; 2008; Dillman, D. A., Smyth, J. D., Christian, L. M., Oneill, A.
- Does "Yes or No" on the Telephone Mean the Same as "Check-All-That-Apply" on the...; 2008; D., Christian, L. M., Dillman, D. A.Smyth, J. D.
- Context effects in Internet Surveys: New issues and evidence; 2007; D. Dillman, D. A., Christian, L. M., Smith, A.Smyth, J. D.
- Improving response quality in list-style open-ended questions in web and telephone surveys; 2007; Smyth, J. D., Dillman, D. A., Christian, L. M.
- Visual Design, Order Effects, and Respondent Characteristics in a Self-Administered Survey; 2007; Stern, M. J., Dillman, D. A., Smyth, J. D.
- Improving the Quality of Open-End Questions in Mail, Web, and Telephone Surveys; 2007; Dillman, D. A., Smyth, J. D.
- Design Effects in the Transition to Web-Based Surveys; 2007; Dillman, D. A., Smyth, J. D.
- Helping Respondents Get It Right the First Time: The Influence of Words, Symbols, and Graphics in Web...; 2007; Christian, L. M., Dillman, D. A., Smyth, J. D.
- Is it Possible to Obtain Equivalent Answers to Scalar Questions in Web and Telephone Surveys?; 2006; Christian, L. M., Dillman, D. A., Smyth, J. D.
- Open-Ended Questions in Web and Telephone Surveys; 2006; Smyth, J. D., Dillman, D. A., Christian, L. M., McBride, M.
- Effects of Using Visual Design Principles to Group Response Options in Web Surveys; 2006; Smyth, J. D., Dillman, D. A., Christian, L. M., Stern, M. J.
- Comparing Check-All and Forced-Choice Question Formats in Web Surveys; 2006; Smyth, J. D., Dillman, D. A., Christian, L. M., Stern, M. J.
- The Effects of Mode and Format on Answers to Scalar Questions in Telephone and Web Surveys; 2006; Christian, L. M., Dillman, D. A., Smyth, J. D.
- Does ‘Yes or No‘ on the Telephone Mean the Same as ‘Check-all-that-apply’ on...; 2006; Smyth, J. D., Christian, L. M., Dillman, D. A.
- Instructing Web and Telephone Respondents to Report Date Answers in Format Desired by the Surveyor; 2005; Christian, L. M., Dillman, D. A., Smyth, J. D.
- In Search of Equivalency across Modes: Experimental Results Comparing Alternative Question Formats for...; 2005; Christian, L. M., Dillman, D. A., Smyth, J. D.
- Comparing Check-All and Forced-Choice Question Formats in Web Surveys: The Role of Satisficing, Depth...; 2005; Smyth, J. D., Dillman, D. A., Christian, L. M., Stern, M. J.Chou, C.; de Rouvray, C.Christianson DeMay...
- How Visual Grouping Influences Answers To Internet Surveys; 2004; Smyth, J. D., Dillman, D. A., Christian, L. M., Stern, M. J.
- The Uses of Paradata for Evaluating Alternative Versions of Web Survey Questions; 2004; Dillman, D. A., Smyth, J. D., Christian, L. M., Stern, M. J.
- Multiple Answer Questions in Self-administered Surveys: The Use of Check-All-That-Apply and Forced-Choice...; 2003; Dillman, D. A., Smyth, J. D., Christian, L. M., Stern, M. J.