Notice: the WebSM website has not been updated since the beginning of 2018.

Web Survey Bibliography

Title Distortion of demographics through technically induced dropout in restricted online surveys
Year 2009
Access date 18.08.2009
Abstract

Web-browsers are basically used to interpret HTML. If other technologies are used like JavaScript, Java applets, or audio/video players, the installation of plugins is necessary. Most Web-browsers have them pre-installed but this does not guarantee its proper functionality. So using these technologies in web-based studies can produce technical dropout because of the technical burden to install the plugin or the unwillingness to invest this extra time.

In a large restricted online study on two different samples (UNET: students of the University of Vienna, n=1,369; WISO-Panel: people from all walks of life, n=764) we analysed if using a Java applet produces a technical dropout and if this leads to a distortion of demographics.

The dropout on the Java applet questionnaire page was 10.5 times higher than the mean dropout on the remaining six pages without any additional technologies (2.3% vs. 24.1%). We found no difference for participants’ age in the somewhat homogeneous UNET student sample but a significant difference in the WISO-Panel (t[762]=2.7, p = .012). Participants who dropped out on the Java applet questionnaire page were 2.6 years older. In both samples a sex-specific effect on technical dropout appeared (UNET: OR=1.34; 95%-CI [1.05, 1.69]; WISO-Panel: OR=1.42, 95%-CI [1.00, 2.02]). Women more frequently dropped out on the Java applet questionnaire page.

Although many technologies are already pre-installed in many web-browsers and are commonly used, using additional technologies can still be dangerous in producing a biased younger and male dominated sample.

Access/Direct link

Conference homepage (abstract)

Year of publication2009
Bibliographic typeConferences, workshops, tutorials, presentations
Full text availabilityAvailable on request
Print

Web survey bibliography - Goeritz, A. (24)