Web Survey Bibliography
It is a well-known finding that sensitive survey questions such as the income question show an increased item nonresponse compared to other questions. Less is known about how and whether such questions affect the decision process of respondents to participate in follow-up surveys. The analysis of a previous survey of the general population in Germany where respondents were asked to take part in a follow-up survey shows that 47% of those who answer the income question are willing to participate in a follow-up survey. In contrast, this figure plunges to only 22% for those who decline to provide income information (total n=818). There are different possible explanations for this finding. Firstly those respondents with a lower extent of trust might have a higher probability for item nonresponse and likewise a higher probability to reject the follow-up survey participation. Secondly, asking the sensitive question itself could influence the later decision (especially for those people who are not totally convinced). The current study uses an experimental design to disentangle these two possible processes and explanations. The random split experiment was conducted during a telephone survey which included a request for participation in online follow-up surveys. Half of the respondents received a question about their net household income, while the other half was not asked any income information. At the end of the interview all respondents were asked whether they are willing to join an online panel. The study tests the causal relationship of sensitive questions and subsequent survey participation. We also discuss the connection between item nonresponse on sensitive questions and the decision to participate in subsequent surveys. Finally, we give recommendations concerning the tradeoff of asking such questions in the first interview compared to later follow-up surveys.
Conference Homepage (abstract)
Web survey bibliography - The American Association for Public Opinion Research (AAPOR) 66th Annual Conference, 2011 (26)
- The smart(phone) way to collect survey data; 2013; Stapleton, C.
- Exploring Health-related Experiences and Access to Care: Differences between Online and Telephone Survey...; 2011; Doty, M. M., Peugh, J., Shand-Lubbers, J.
- Using Community Information and Survey Methodology for Bias Reduction to Enhance the Quality of the...; 2011; Harvey, J., Prabhakaran, J., Spera, C., Zhang, Zh.
- Response Quantity, Response Quality, and Costs of Building an Online Panel via Social Contacts.; 2011; Toepoel, V.
- The Influence Of The Direction Of Likert-Type Scales In Web Surveys On Response Behavior In Different...; 2011; Keusch, F.
- An Injured Party?: A Comparison of Political Party Response Formats in Party Identification.; 2011; Schwarz, S., Barlas, F. M., Thomas, R. K., Corso, R. A., Szoc, R.
- Asking Sensitive Questions: Do They Affect Participation In Follow-Up Surveys?; 2011; Schaurer, I., Struminskaya, B., Kaczmirek, L., Bandilla, W.
- Designing Questions for Web Surveys: Effects of Check-List, Check-All, and Stand-Alone Response Formats...; 2011; Dykema, J., Schaeffer, N. C., Beach, J., Lein, V., Day, B.
- Differential Sampling Based on Historical Individual-Level Data in Online Panels.; 2011; Kelly, R. H.
- Web Survey Live Validations - What Are They Doing?; 2011; Crawford, S. D., McClain, C.
- Comparing Numeric and Text Open-End Responses in Mail and Web Surveys.; 2011; Olson, K., Smyth, J.
- Effects of Response Formats when Measuring Attitudes in Consumer Web Surveys Across Markets.; 2011; Couper, M. P., Nunge, E.
- Re-Examining the Validity of Different Survey Modes for Measuring Public Opinion in the U.S.: Findings...; 2011; Ansolabehere, S., Fraga, B., Schaffner, B. F.
- How to Survey All 14 000 Swedish Local Political Representatives And Get 10 000 Responses.; 2011; Gilljam, M., Granberg, D., Holm, B., Persson, M.
- Measuring User Satisfaction in the Lab: Questionnaire Mode, Physical Location, and Social Presence Concerns...; 2011; Jans, M., Romano, J. C., Ashenfelter, K. T., Krosnick, J. A.
- Interactive interventions in web surveys can increase response accuracy.; 2011; Conrad, F. G.
- Impact on Data Quality of Making Incentives Salient in Web Survey Invitations.; 2011; Zhang, Che.
- Effects of Mode and Incentives on Response Rates, Costs, and Response Quality in a Mixed Mode Survey...; 2011; Stevenson, J., Dykema, J., Kniss, C., Black, P., Moberg, P.
- Effects of Differential Incentives on Response Rates in Four Countries for a Web-based Follow Up Survey...; 2011; McSpurren, K.
- Completing Web Surveys on Cell-enabled iPads.; 2011; Dayton, J., Driscoll, H.
- The Social Aspect of the Digital Divide; 2011; Johnson, E. P.
- Which Technologies Do Respondents Use in Online Surveys – An International Comparison?; 2011; Kaczmirek, L., Behr, D., Bandilla, W.
- Matrix Questionnaire Design to Reduce Measurement Error; 2011; Peytchev, A., Peytcheva, E.
- Race-of-Virtual-Interviewer Effects; 2011; Conrad, F. G., Schober, M. F., Nielsen, D.
- Which Web Survey Respondents Are Most Likely to Click for Clarification?; 2011; Coiner, T., Schober, M. F., Conrad, F. G.
- Providing Clarifying Instructions in a Web Survey; 2011; Redline, C. D.