Web Survey Bibliography
(a) Relevance & Research Question:
As web surveys are nothing extraordinarily new anymore, the method seems to have lost its novelty factor for respondents. Therefore it becomes more important for surveyors to make sure that their questionnaires can motivate respondents to thoroughly finish the survey. Keusch, Kurz and Penzkofer (2009) showed in an online study with IT-managers that professional questionnaire layout can reduce abortion rate. Also the personal interest for a survey topic has proved to be a highly motivational factor in the decision to participate in web surveys (Galesic 2006; Marcus et al. 2007; Porter/Whitcomb 2005). This new study therefore addresses two research questions:
1. Does the layout of a web questionnaire influence response rate and data quality of web surveys in online access panels?
2. Does the personal interest for the survey topic mediate the relationship between questionnaire layout and response rate/data quality?
(b) Methods & Data:
1.670 members of the Austrian Opinions Online Panel were randomly assigned to participate in one of two web surveys about two different topics (insurances and holidays). The layout of both questionnaires was manipulated. Panelists either saw a web questionnaire with a basic or a professional layout. The influence of questionnaire layout and topic was measured on response rate and different indicators of data quality (response latency, item omission, answer length to open-ended questions, non-differentiation in grids).
(c) Results:
Contrary to our expectations the questionnaire layout had no influence on the response rate in the online access panel. But the results also showed that the professional layout helped to motivate individuals with low personal interest for the topic to stay till the end of the survey.
(d) Added Value:
The results of this study indicate that questionnaire layout seems to play a minor role in online access panels overall, though it can help to motivate people that have low interest in the survey topic.
Conference Homepage (abstract) / (full text)
Web survey bibliography - General Online Research Conference (GOR) 2010 (17)
- Testing the Applicability of Respondent Driven Sampling as an Online Research Method to Sample Hidden...; 2010; Pajak, D.
- Seriousness Checks are Useful to Improve Data Validity in Online Research; 2010; Diedenhofen, D., Aust, F., Ullrich, S., Musch, J.
- Enrichment of Qualitative Research through Online Approaches: New Insights due to Online CoCreation...; 2010; Krischke-Ramaswamy, M., Knorr, H.
- Developing and Evaluating a Student Online Panel.; 2010; Stiglbauer, B., Gamsjäger, M., Gnambs, T., Batinic, B., Altrichter, H.
- Online Access Panels: A detailed look at different Ways of Entering, their Costs and Participation Behavior...; 2010; Führer, R., Keusch, F.
- Eye Tracking and Cognitive Interviewing: Steps to improve online questionnaires; 2010; Tries, S., Sattelberger, S.
- Trial by Ordeal, a medieval approach to a modern day problem; 2010; Cape, P., Cavallaro, K.
- How new engagement techniques and question approaches are revolutionizing online research data gathering...; 2010; Puleston, J.
- Social Networking Sites: New approaches for Online-Panels?; 2010; Drosdow, M., Geißler, H.
- The Impact of Visual and Functional Design Elements in Online Survey Research; 2010; Hammen, K.
- Theoretical model of context-sensitive mobile methods; 2010; Maxl, E.
- Can a professional questionnaire layout make up for a boring topic? The mediating role of topic interest...; 2010; Keusch, F., Mayerhofer, W., Jungreithmaier, S., Weilbuchner, N., Fuehrer, R., Kling, H.
- Using Propensity Score Weighting to Reduce Bias of a Swiss Market Research Web Panel; 2010; Wiegand, G., Jella, H., Beat, H., Stefan, L.
- Potentials and Constraints of Propensity Score Weighting to Improve Web Survey Quality; 2010; Steinmetz, S., Tijdens, K.
- Selection Bias in Web Surveys and the Use of Propensity Scores in Forecasting the Result of the 2009...; 2010; Musch, J., Ullrich, S., Diedenhofen, D.
- Breakoff in Web Surveys of the German Longitudinal Election Study (GLES); 2010; Blumenstiel, J. E., Roßmann, J., Steinbrecher, M.
- The longitudinal effect of incentives on participation and data quality in online panels; 2010; Neumann, B. P., Goeritz, A.