Web Survey Bibliography
Background: Research in quality of life traditionally relies on paper-and-pencil questionnaires. Easy access to the Internet has inspired a number of studies that use the Internet to collect questionnaire data. However, Internet-based data collection may differ from traditional methods with respect to response rate and data quality as well as the validity and reliability of the involved scales.
Objective: We used a randomized design to compare a paper-and-pencil questionnaire with an Internet version of the same questionnaire with respect to differences in response rate and completeness of data.
Methods: Women referred for mammography at a Danish public hospital from September 2004 to April 2005, aged less than 67 years and without a history of breast cancer, were eligible for the study. The women received the invitation to participate along with the usual letter from the Department of Radiology. A total of 533 women were invited to participate. They were randomized to receive either a paper questionnaire, with a prepaid return envelope, or a guideline on how to fill in the Internet-based version online. The questionnaire consisted of 17 pages with a total of 119 items, including the Short Form-36, Multidimensional Fatigue Inventory-20, Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, and questions regarding social status, education level, occupation, and access to the Internet. Nonrespondents received a postal reminder giving them the option of filling out the other version of the questionnaire.
Results: The response rate before the reminder was 17.9% for the Internet group compared to 73.2% for the paper-and-pencil group (risk difference 55.3%, P < .001). After the reminder, when the participant could chose between versions of the questionnaire, the total response rate for the Internet and paper-and-pencil group was 64.2% and 76.5%, respectively (risk difference 12.2%, P = .002). For the Internet version, 97.8% filled in a complete questionnaire without missing data, while 63.4% filled in a complete questionnaire for the paper-and-pencil version (risk difference 34.5%, P < .001).
Conclusions: The Internet version of the questionnaire was superior with respect to completeness of data, but the response rate in this population of unselected patients was low. The general population has yet to become more familiar with the Internet before an online survey can be the first choice of researchers, although it is worthwhile considering within selected populations of patients as it saves resources and provides more complete answers. An Internet version may be combined with the traditional version of a questionnaire, and in follow-up studies of patients it may be more feasible to offer Internet versions.
Journal of medical internet research(full text)
Web survey bibliography - Denmark (31)
- Representative web-survey!; 2016; Linde, P.
- Correcting for non-response bias in contingent valuation surveys concerning environmental non-market...; 2015; Bonnichsen, O.; Boye Olsen, S.
- The effect of multiple reminders on response patterns in a Danish health survey; 2015; Christensen, A. I.; Ekholm, O.; Kristensen, P. L.; Larsen, F. B.; Vinding, A. L.; Gluemer, C.; Juel,...
- Disclosure of sensitive behaviors across self-administered survey modes: a meta-analysis; 2014; Gnambs, T., Kaspar, K.
- Self-reported cheating in web surveys on political knowledge; 2014; Jensen, C., Thomsen, J. P. F.
- Improving Survey Response Rates in Online Panels Effects of Low-Cost Incentives and Cost-Free Text Appeal...; 2014; Pedersen, M. J., Nielsen, C. V.
- Online Qualitative Research – Personality Matters ; 2014; Tress, F., Doessel, C.
- Is it what you say, or how you say It? An experimental analysis of the effects of invitation wording...; 2014; Fazekas, Z., Wall, M. T., Krouwel, A.
- Measuring Mobile Phone Use: Self-Report Versus Log Data; 2013; Boase, J., Ling, R.
- Effect of survey mode on response patterns: comparison of face-to-face and self-administered modes in...; 2013; Illemann Christensen, A., Ekholm, O., Gluemer, C., Juel, K.
- ESSnet Data: Collection for Social Surveys using Multiple Modes; 2013; Sattelberger, S., Blanke, K.
- A Framework for the Collection of Universal Client Side Paradata (UCSP); 2012; Kaczmirek, L.
- Does survey experience affect respondents’ reported level of satisfaction?; 2012; Schultz Christensen, A., Ladenburg, J.
- Efficiency of Different Recruitment Strategies for Web Panels; 2012; Hansen, K. M., Pedersen, R. T.
- “Don’t know” the difference - An experimental comparison between Web and CATI; 2011; Schielicke, A.-M., Degen, M.
- On Affordances and Technological Intersubjectivity; 2011; Vatrapu, R.
- Usability and burden measurement in online forms; 2011; Thomsen, P.
- Dynamic Data Editing in online data collection for the Vacant Positions Survey; 2011; Stax, H.-P.
- Utilizing Web Technology in Business Data Collection: Some Norwegian, Dutch and Danish Experiences; 2011; Snijkers, G., Haraldsen, G., Stax, H.-P.
- Does the Inclusion of a Cost Attribute in Forced and Unforced Choices Matter? Results from a Web Survey...; 2011; Pedersen, L. B., Kjaer, T., Kragstrup, J., Gyrd-Hansen, D.
- Utilizing Web Technology in Business Data Collection: Some Norwegian, Dutch and Danish Experiences; 2011; Haraldsen, G., Snijkers, G., Roos, M., Sundvoll, A., Vik, T., Stax, H.-P.
- Examination of a ’Web Mode Effect’. An Experimental Comparison of Web and Paper Based Surveys...; 2011; Shamshiri-Petersen, D., Clement, S. L.
- The impact of incentives and interview methods on response quantity and quality in diary- and booklet...; 2010; Bonke, J., Fallesen, P.
- Measuring Internet And Press Audience In The Media Convergence Era. In Search Of A New Paradigm In Researching...; 2009; Pawlak, J., Póltorak, M.
- Choosing Between Internet and Mail Survey Modes for Choice Experiment Surveys Considering Non-Market...; 2009; Boye Olsen, S.
- Using mobile phones to measure TV-broadcast quality; 2009; Wieland, J. L., Puggaard, B.
- Differential response rates in postal and Web-based surveys in older respondents; 2009; Bech, M., Kristensen, M. B.
- Response rate and completeness of questionnaires: A randomized study of internet versus Paper-and-Pencil...; 2007; Holm- Christensen, K., Hjollund, H. N., Basnov, M., Kongsved, S. M.
- The impact of material incentives on response quantity, response quality, sample composition, survey...; 2004; Goeritz, A.
- Willingness to Pay for Organic Foods: A Comparison between Survey Data and Panel Data from Denmark ; 2002; Millock, K.; Hansen, L.G.; Wier, M.; Andersen, L.M
- Online Research: Methoden, Anwendungen und Ergebnisse ; 1999; Batinic, B., Bandilla, W., Graef, L., Werner, A.