Web Survey Bibliography
Several general population surveys have shown that offering individuals a choice of responding to a survey via web or mail produces lower response rates than offering mail as the sole response mode. In this paper we present results of two experiments designed to assess the effect of offering a choice between mail and web response when only mail contacts are used, as is necessary in general public populations. The population for these experiments (undergraduate students at Washington State University) was chosen to overcome a limitation of previous studies, i.e. the fact that some members did not have web access. In support of prior theory and research, this research suggests that offering a choice produces a slightly lower response rate than that obtained when only offering a mail response option. At the very least, there is no evidence to support the common assumption that offering a choice will improve response. We also find that offering only a web response option produces a significantly lower response rate than either the mail-only or choice option. Both experiments also include additional treatments that reveal whether the negative effects of choice and offering web-only can be overcome through combining postal contacts, token financial incentives, and strategically timed emails to support web response. Results of these experiments have significant, but different, implications for surveys of general populations in which email contacts cannot be used (mail-only may be a better strategy) and situations in which postal and email contacts can both be used (a web-only response option is likely to be better).
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Web survey bibliography - Dillman, D. A. (52)
- Improving the Effectiveness of Online Data Collection by Mixing Survey Modes; 2017; Dillman, D. A.; Hao, F.; Millar, M. M.
- On Climbing Stairs Many Steps at a Time: The New Normal in Survey Methodology; 2015; Dillman, D. A.
- Improving Response to Household Surveys Using Mail Contact to Request Responses over the Internet: Results...; 2015; Dillman, D. A.
- Internet, Phone, Mail, and Mixed-Mode Surveys: The Tailored Design Method, 4th Edition; 2014; Dillman, D. A., Smyth, J. D., Christian, L. M.
- Achieving Synergy Across Survey Modes: Mail Contact and Web Responses from Address-Based Samples; 2013; Dillman, D. A.
- An Experimental Evaluation of How Mode Sequence for offering Internet, Mail and Telephone Options Affects...; 2013; Finamore, J., Dillman, D. A.
- Attitudes of Nebraska Residents on Nebraska Water Management; 2013; Dillman, D. A., Edwards, M. L.
- Mode Effects in Mixed-Mode Surveys: Prevention, Diagnostics, and Adjustment 1; 2013; de Leeuw, E. D., Dillman, D. A., Schouten, B.
- Understanding the resilience of mail-back survey methods: An analysis of 20 years of change in response...; 2012; Rookey, B. D., Le, L., Littlejohn, M., Dillman, D. A.
- Intensifying the Request: Results from an Experiment on Improving Internet Response Rates for Address...; 2012; Messer, B. L., Dillman, D. A.
- Do Mail and Internet Surveys Produce Different Item Nonresponse Rates? An Experiment Using Random Mode...; 2012; Millar, M. M., Dillman, D. A.
- Determinants of Item Nonresponse to Web and Mail Respondents in Three Address-Based Mixed-Mode Surveys...; 2012; Messer, B. L., Edwards, M. L., Dillman, D. A.
- How Visual Design Affects the Interpretability of Survey Questions; 2011; Toepoel, V., Dillman, D. A.
- Surveying the General Public over the Internet Using Address-Based Sampling and Mail Contact Procedures...; 2011; Messer, B. L., Dillman, D. A.
- Creating Effective Designs for Mixed-Mode Surveys; 2011; Dillman, D. A.
- In the Face of Declining Budgets: The Student Experience at Washington State University ; 2011; Allen, T., Dillman, D. A., Garza, B., Millar, M. M.
- IVR and web administration in structured interviews utilizing rating scales: exploring the role of motivation...; 2011; Yang, Y., Callegaro, M., Bhola, D. S., Dillman, D. A.
- Research synthesis. AAPOR report on online panels; 2010; Brick, J. M., Baker, R., Blumberg, S. J., Couper, M. P., Courtright, M., Dennis, J. M., Dillman, D....
- Mixed-mode surveys; 2010; Dillman, D. A., Messer, B. L.
- Improving Response to Mail and Web Mixed-Mode Surveys: The Effects of Offering Choice on Survey Response...; 2010; Millar, M. M., Dillman, D. A.
- Questionnaire Design Guidelines for Establishment Surveys; 2010; Morrison, R. L., Dillman, D. A., Christian, L. M.
- Does Visual Appeal Matter? Effects of Web Survey Aesthetics on Survey Quality; 2010; Mahon-Haft, T., Dillman, D. A.
- 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.
- Words, Numbers and Visual Heuristics in Web Surveys: Is There a Hierarchy of Importance?; 2009; Toepoel, V., Dillman, D. A.
- Improving the Effectiveness of Mail Contact Procedures to Obtain Survey Response Over the Internet for...; 2009; Messer, B. L., Dillman, D. A.
- The Difficult but Essential Challenge of Designing Mixed-Mode Surveys; 2009; Dillman, D. A.
- Using Mail Contact to Sample and Encourage Submission of Questionnaire Answers Over the Internet; 2009; Dillman, D. A., Messer, B. L., Millar, M. M.
- Visual Heuristics and Answer Formats in Rating Scales; 2009; Toepoel, V. Dillman, D. A.
- 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.
- Are Mode Preferences Real?; 2009; Millar, M. M., O'Neill, A. C., Dillman, D. A.
- Designing Scalar Questions for Web Surveys; 2009; Christian, L. M., Parsons, N. L., Dillman, D. A.
- Response rate and measurement differences in mixed-mode surveys using mail, telephone, interactive voice...; 2009; Dillman, D. A., Phelps, G., Tortora, R. D., Swift, K., Kohrell, J., Berck, J., Messer, B. L.
- Some consequences of survey mode changes in longitudinal surveys; 2008; Dillman, D. A.
- To Mix or Not To Mix Survey Modes; 2008; Dillman, D. A.
- ...; 2008; Dillman, D. A., Smyth, J. D., Christian, L. M., O'Neill, A. C.
- Internet, Mail, and Mixed-Mode Surveys: The Tailored Design Method ; 2008; Dillman, D. A., Christian, L. M., Smyth, J. D.
- How can we convince the general public to respond to internet surveys?; 2008; Dillman, D. A.
- 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 the Inclusion of Mail and Web Alternatives in a Probability-Based Household Panel Improve the Accuracy...; 2008; Rookey, B. D., Dillman, D. A., Hanway, S.
- Does a Probability-Based Household Panel Benefit from Assignment to Postal Response as an Alternative...; 2008; Rookey, B. D., Hanway, S., Dillman, D. A.
- Context effects in Internet Surveys: New issues and evidence; 2007; Smyth, J. D., Dillman, D. A., Christian, L. M.
- Guidelines for Designing Questionnaires for Administration in Different Modes; 2007; Martin, E., Hunter, J. E., DeMaio, T., Hill, Jo., Reiser, C., Gerber, E., Styles, K., Dillman, D. A.
- 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.
- 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.
- Response latency as an indicator of optimizing. A study comparing job applicants and job incumbents...; 2004; Callegaro, M., Yang, Y., Bhola, D. S., Dillman, D. A.
- The Influence of Graphical and Symbolic Language Manipulations on Responses to Self-Administered Questions...; 2004; Christian, L. M., Dillman, D. A.
- Results from cognitive interviews of nsf earned doctorate Web survey; 2002; Altheimer, I., Dillman, D. A.
- Survey Nonresponse; 2001; Groves, R. M., Dillman, D. A., Eltinge, J. L.