Relevance & Research Question:
Starting several years ago Mobile Research evolved from the basic idea of conducting surveys via a mobile phone instead of a PC or Laptop to nowadays a wide range of devices, methods, and approaches like location based research or “moment of truth” surveys. However, in a world with an undoubtedly trend towards mobile usage of the internet (Gartner forecasts 821 million sold mobile devices in 2012) one should examine how digital surveys are affected in terms of data quality and sample structure. Taking this into account, there is a need to scrutinize the amount of current usage of online surveys via mobile devices and to analyze differences, threats and opportunities.
Methods & Data:
The authors conducted a post-hoc analysis with a huge amount of datasets from recent online surveys. To get a widespread view surveys with manifold target groups were examined as well as multiple data sources like online-access-panel samples and customer based samples.
The analysis focused on how often online questionnaires are being accessed and completed by users of mobile devices, and whether and to what extent those users differ from average PC/Laptop users. Therefore, the authors take a closer look at performance related indicators like average length of interview time, consistency measures, detailedness of open-ended answers and drop-out rate on the one hand. On the other hand demographic criteria were analyzed in order to draw a coherent picture of the current mobile user.
Result:
A pool of more than 40 projects will be examined according to the criteria mentioned above.
Added Value:
The authors will illustrate the current status of mobile usage in online surveys and highlight differences not only about PC vs. Mobile Users but also among different target groups and different sample sources.
Furthermore, the authors will present implications for the future setup of digital surveys and provide recommendations how to adapt surveys to integrate Mobile Research as an integral part of digital research as opposed to an artificial and often not helpful schism between mobile and non-mobile research.