The German Internet Panel (GIP) is a new large-scale online panel based on a random probability sample of individuals living within households in Germany. Panel households are initially approached offline, with a short face-to-face interview. Subsequently, all household members are invited to complete the bi-monthly GIP questionnaires. To minimize non-coverage bias, households without access to the internet will be provided with the necessary hardware and/or a broadband internet connection.
While the panel is set up as a long-term study, it is currently in the pretest phase. The recruitment and online pretests will be conducted in early 2012. The mainstage recruitment is due to start in the Spring. To collect evidence for successful recruitment strategies, we are implementing an incentives experiment, are conducting a survey amongst interviewers working on the face-to-face phase and collect regional and household information at each stage of recruitment.