Web Survey Bibliography
Objectives
To evaluate the effectiveness of pre-notification and pleading invitations in Web surveys by embedding a randomized controlled trial (RCT) in a Web-based survey.
Study Design and Setting
E-mail addresses of 569 authors of published maternal health research were randomized in a 2×2 factorial trial of a pre-notification vs. no pre-notification e-mail and a pleading vs. a non-pleading invitation e-mail. The primary outcome was completed response rate, and the secondary outcome was submitted response rate (which included complete and partial responses).
Results
Pleading invitations resulted in 5.0% more completed questionnaires, although this difference did not reach statistical significance [odds ratio (OR) 1.23; 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.86, 1.74; P = 0.25]. Pre-notification did not increase the completion rate (OR 1.04; 95% CI 0.73, 1.48; P = 0.83). Response was higher among authors who had published in 2006 or later (OR 2.07; 95% CI: 1.43, 2.98; P = 0.001). There was some evidence that pre-notification was more effective in increasing submissions from authors with recent publications (P = 0.04).
Conclusion
The use of a “pleading” tone to e-mail invitations may increase response to a Web-based survey. Authors of recently published research are more likely to respond to a Web-based survey.
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Web survey bibliography - 2011 (358)
- Nonresponse Error, Measurement Error, And Mode Of Data Collection: Tradeoffs in a Multi-mode Survey...; 2011; Sakshaug, J. W., Yan, T., Tourangeau, R.
- A Method for Evaluating Mode Effects in Mixed-mode Surveys; 2011; Vannieuwenhuyze, J., Loosveldt, G., Molenberghs, G.
- Handle with Care: The Impact of Using Java Applets in Web-Based Studies on Dropout and Sample Composition...; 2011; Stieger, S., Goeritz, A., Voracek, M.
- An overview of Internet-based surveys in hospitality and tourism journals; 2011; Hung, K., Law, R.
- Factorial trial found mixed evidence of effects of pre-notification and pleading on response to Web-...; 2011; Felix, L. M., Burchett, H. E., Edwards, P. J.
- Testing for measurement equivalence of human values across online and paper-and-pencil surveys; 2011; Davidov, E., Depner, F.
- Measuring Political Knowledge in Telephone and Web Surveys: A Cross-National Comparison; 2011; Strabac, Z., Aalberg, T.
- Social and Behavioral Research and the Internet: Advances in Applied Methods and Research Strategies; 2011; Das, M., Ester, P., Kaczmirek, L.
- Mode and Context Effects in Measuring Household Assets; 2011; van Soest, A., Kapteyn, A.
- Social desirability and self-reported health risk behaviors in web-based research: three longitudinal...; 2010; Crutzen, R., Goeritz, A.