Web Survey Bibliography

Title Using the iPad2 as a Prize-based Incentive to Boost Response Rates
Year 2012
Access date 29.06.2012
Abstract

With the rising popularity and fervor over new technological devices like iPads and smartphones, researchers may ask whether the use of these devices as promised incentives rather than prepaid or promised cash is more effective in boosting the response rates of web-based surveys. In 2009, Dillman, Smyth, and Christian downplayed the use of prize drawing incentives for web-based surveys and instead conclude that, like mail and telephone surveys, the most effective way to increase response rates in web-based surveys is to use postal mail to deliver an invitation and prepaid cash incentive (pgs. 274-275). However, for many public, marketing, and social researchers, the feasibility of this approach is not only cost-prohibitive but naturally goes against the initial purposes of using the internet in the first place—the reduction in time and ease of use. Further, when it comes to the advancement and public use of technological, data from 2009 already feels like it’s a century behind. Thus, the purpose of this paper is to revisit the question of lottery- or prize-based drawings, particularly in light of using new technological devices as incentives; in our case—the iPad2. In spring of 2011, the Office of Assessment and Analysis at Brigham Young University sent out two webbased surveys to gather data on academic and career advisement. Each survey was sent to a random sample of over 7000 students. The initial invitation had no incentive promised. Eleven days later, with only around an 8% response rate, a reminder was sent to the non-respondents including an invitation for them to enter a drawing for an iPad 2 at the end of completing the survey. Within 48 hours the response rate for the academic and career advisement surveys shot up to 35% and 30% respectively. We will present further details surrounding this significant shift.

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Year of publication2012
Bibliographic typeConferences, workshops, tutorials, presentations
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Web Survey Bibliography (1931)

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