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Web Survey Bibliography

Title Use of Mobile Devices to Access Computer-optimized Web Instruments: Implications for Respondent Behavior and Data Quality
Year 2012
Access date 30.06.2012
Abstract

With recent increases in smartphone usage, the small size of web browsers on mobile devices has become crucial for researchers to consider—- especially when surveying populations with high rates of mobile browser use. Complex web surveys have generally been designed for full screen implementation, and consideration has typically not been paid to small screen size and touch screen usage given the numerous challenges involved in doing so; as a result, any prevalence of users responding on a mobile device may introduce undesirable trends in response (Peytchev & Hill, 2010). This presentation will focus on a national web survey of college students at nearly 100 universities, a population with a near-50% rate of smartphone ownership according to the Pew Research Center’s Internet & American Life Project (Smith, 2011). With the above considerations in mind, we sought to identify respondents who accessed the survey on mobile devices at several key points, gather information that would allow us to describe the characteristics of their experience, and experimentally test one potential method of intervention within the survey in efforts to encourage mobile users to return on a computer. We will discuss the implications of such device use on data quality, focusing on breakoffs, item-missing data rates, length of text responses, and behavior surrounding validations. Analysis by browser type and duration of use will be presented, together with recommendations for addressing challenges posed by mobile device use in future research on and implementation of web surveys.

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Year of publication2012
Bibliographic typeConferences, workshops, tutorials, presentations
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Web survey bibliography (4086)

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