Web Survey Bibliography
Relevance & Research Question:
Pre-testing survey instruments is a widely accepted method to test a survey before fielding it to the full sample. There are several advantages of pretesting an online survey, e.g., to collect information regarding survey responses or technical problems, to name only a few.
This study addresses the following questions:
(1) Is pre-testing used before fielding the online survey instrument to the full sample?
(2) Does frequency influence the usage of online survey tools and pre-testing?
(3) Are there differences in usage behavior across different areas (e.g. government, academic, non-profit or for-profit)?
(4) How large is the pretest sample?
Methods & Data:
Data has been collected via a web survey among users of LimeSurvey from July 2009 to October 2011. Of 40,663 responders 14,622 answered the question if they ever ran a pre-test or not. Analyses were conducted using descriptive statistics, cross-tabulations and related statistical tests.
Results:
The core result is that pre-testing online surveys before fielding it to the full sample is now an established method:
(1) Around 65.9% of online survey tool users occasionally or always run a trial survey (pre-test) before fielding it to the full sample.
(2) There is a u-shaped significant relationship between usage frequency of online survey tools and conducting a pre-test (…).
(3) The amount of pre-tests is highest among academic users (62.9%) and lowest among governmental users (58.3%).
(4) Around 64.5 percent of online survey tool users conducted a pre-test using a pre-test sample size of between 1 and 100 cases.
Added Value:
The results of this study provide insights to pre-testing online survey tools. Despite the fact that nearly two-third of online survey tool users are running pre-tests with between 1 and 100 participants, there is potential for the remaining one third of customers to improve their quality of online surveys through pre-testing. Overall, this should lead to a higher acceptance of online surveys.
GOR Homepage (abstract)
Web survey bibliography (4086)
- Is Pretesting Established Among Online Survey Tool Users?; 2012
- An Evaluation of Two Non-Reactive Web Questionnaire Pretesting Methods; 2012; Lenzner, T.
- Recommendations for implementing online surveys and simple experiments in social and behavioural research...; 2012; Hewson, C. M.
- High potential for mobile Web surveys: Findings from a survey representative for German Internet users...; 2012; Funke, F., Wachenfeld, A.
- A taxonomy of paradata for web surveys and computer assisted self interviewing (Casi); 2012; Callegaro, M.
- Can Social Media Research replace traditional research methods?; 2012; Faber, T., Einhorn, M., Hofmann, O., Loeffler, M.
- Bad Boy Matrix Question – Whatcha gonna do when they come for you?; 2012; Tress, F.
- Matrix vs. Single Question Formats in Web Surveys: Results from a large scale experiment; 2012; Klausch, L. T., de Leeuw, E. D., Hox, J., de Jongh, A., Roberts , A.
- Effects of Static versus Dynamic Formatting Instructions for Open-Ended Numerical Questions in Web Surveys...; 2012; Kunz, T., Fuchs, M.
- FamilyVote – Conducting online surveys with children and families; 2012; Geissler, H., Peeters, H.
- The influence of social desirability on data quality in face-to-face and web surveys; 2012; Keusch, F.
- Reducing the Threat of Sensitive Questions in Online Surveys; 2012; Couper, M. P.
- Using the Internet to Administer More Realistic Vignette Experiments; 2012; Caro, F. G., Ho, T., McFadden, D., Gottlieb, A. S., Yee, C., Chan, T.,
- Succinct Survey Measures of Web-Use Skills; 2012; Hargittai, E., Hsieh, Y. P.
- Data Use: Trying to bring the numbers alive ; 2012; Rung, J., Woll, B., Edstrom, C.
- The impact of two-stage highly interesting questions on completion rates and data quality in online...; 2012; Hansen, J. M., Smith, S. M.
- User models as revealed in web-based research services; 2012; Bodoff, D., Raban, D.
- When to Use What Research Design ; 2012; Vogt, W. P., Gardner, D. C., Haeffele, L. M.
- Assessing the Quality of Survey Data ; 2012; Blasius, J.
- Collecting, Managing, and Assessing Data Using Sample Surveys; 2012; Stopher, P.
- Designing and Doing Survey Research; 2012; Andres, L.
- The Impact of Visual Design in Survey Cover Letters on Response and Web Take-Up Rates; 2012; Mockovak, W.
- Validation of an online questionnaire measure of the relative reinforcing value of food; 2012; Reslan, S., Saules, K. K., Greenwald, M. K.
- Monitoring Validated Quality of Life Outcomes After Prostatectomy: Initial Description of Novel Online...; 2012; Sebrow, D., Lavery, H. J., Brajtbord, J. S., Hobbs, A., W., Levinson, A. W., Samadi, D. B.
- Who should supervise students during self-report interviews? A controlled experiment on response behavior...; 2012; Walser, S., Killias, M.
- Web-Based Recruiting for Health Research Using a Social Networking Site: An Exploratory Study; 2012; Fenner, Y., Garland, P., Moore, E. E., Jayasinghe, Y., Fletcher, A., Tabrizi, S. N., Gunasekaran, B.,...
- Exploring Animated Faces Scales in Web Surveys: Drawbacks and Prospects; 2012; Emde, M., Fuchs, M.
- Smart Surveys for Smart Phones: Exploring Various Approaches for Conducting Online Mobile Surveys via...; 2012; Buskirk, T. D., Andrus, C.
- Use of incentives and web-based administration for surveying student alcohol and substance use in an...; 2012; Onoye, J. M., Goebert, D., Nishimura, S.
- Reminders in Web-Based Data Collection: Increasing Response at the Price of Retention?; 2012; Goeritz, A., Crutzen, R.
- Does survey format influence self-disclosure on sensitive question items?; 2012; Kays, K., Gathercoal, K., Buhrow, W.
- Why semantic differentials in Web-based research should be made from visual analogue scales and not...; 2012; Funke, F., Reips, U.-D.
- Using Webinar Polls to Collect Online Survey Data: The Case of a Behavioral Finance Problem; 2012; Sahu, C.
- Non-Response Bias with a Web-Based Survey of College Students: Differences from a Classroom Survey About...; 2012; Wells, W., Cavanaugh, M. R., Nobles, M. R., Bouffard, Je. A.
- The cost-effectiveness of cash versus lottery incentives for a web-based, stated-preference community...; 2012; Gajic, A., Cameron, D., Hurley, J.
- Multiple Sources of Nonobservation Error in Telephone Surveys: Coverage and Nonresponse; 2011; Peytchev, A.; Carley-Baxter, L. R.; Black, M. C.
- Online Questionnaires for Outbreak Investigations; 2011; Parry, A. E.; Johnson, D. R.; Byron-Gray, K.; Raupach, J. C. A.; McPherson, M.
- Inventory of published research: Response burden measurement and reduction in official business statistics...; 2011; Giesen, D. & Snijkers, G. (Eds.), Bavdaz, M., Bergstrom, Y., Gravem, D. F., Haraldsen, G., Hedlin, D...
- Effects of speeding on satisficing in Mixed-Mode Surveys; 2011; Bathelt, S., Bauknecht, J.
- Using Research-Based Practices to Increase Response Rates of Web-Based Surveys; 2011; Perkins, R. A.
- Using break-offs in web interviews for predicting web response in mixed mode surveys; 2011; Beukenhorst, D.
- Web panels in Slovenia; 2011; Lenar, J.
- Traditional and non-traditional treatments for autism spectrum disorder with seizures: an on-line survey...; 2011; Frye, R. E., Sreenivasula, S., Adams, J. B.
- Understanding the new digital divide—A typology of Internet users in Europe; 2011; Brandtzæg, P.B.; Heim, J.; Karahasanoviæ, A.
- Patients’ attitudes toward side effects of antidepressants: an Internet survey; 2011; Kikuchi, T., Uchida, H., Suzuki, T., Watanabe, K., Kashima, H.
- Web-based or paper-based surveys: a quandary?; 2011; Bennett, L., Sid Nair, C.
- Refining the Total Survey Error Perspective; 2011; Smith, T. W.
- ELIPSS: Étude Longitudinale par Internet Pour les Sciences Sociales; 2011; Legleye, S., Lesnard, L.
- Less questions, more data: Revitalizing the european currency in single source affluent audience measurement...; 2011; Hartman, H.
- Linking website exposure data to survey data: A single-source solution; 2011; Krahn, J., Landi, J., Melton, E.