Notice: the WebSM website has not been updated since the beginning of 2018.

Web Survey Bibliography

Title Is Pushing the General Public to the Web in Address-Based Samples Cost Effective?
Year 2013
Access date 30.05.2013
Abstract

Interest in using mail contact in address-based samples of the general public to encourage responses over the Internet is considerable. However, several studies have shown that it is necessary to also use mail questionnaires in order to obtain responses from households with quite different demographics than those who will respond by Web (e.g. Messer and Dillman, Public Opinion Quarterly, 2011). That study also shows that “pushing” some respondents to the Web may actually increase total survey costs on a per respondent basis while reducing overall response rates and not provide a demonstrable improvement in household representation. The expected savings from questionnaire mailing and processing costs did not offset the set-up and implementation costs. In this paper we examine results from two experiments conducted on address-based samples in Oregon during 2010 and 2012. Response rates and cost effects of two approaches were examined: 1) Web+mail (withholding mail in early contacts) and 2) offering a choice of Web or mail were compared using a mail-only approach as controls. We systematically examine for each approach and year response rates, costs for each survey mode, and demographic representation with regard to age, gender, and employment. Thus, we reexamine the question of whether including a Web response is cost effective when administered in a somewhat different way that used by Messer and Dillman.

Access/Direct link

Conference Homepage (abstract)

Year of publication2013
Bibliographic typeConferences, workshops, tutorials, presentations
Print

Web survey bibliography - The American Association for Public Opinion Research (AAPOR) 68th Annual Conference, 2013 (88)

Page:
  • 1
  • 2
Page:
  • 1
  • 2