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Web Survey Bibliography

Title On the cost-efficiency of probability sampling based mail surveys with a Web response option
Author Werner, P.
Year 2005
Access date 01.08.2013
Abstract

Web surveys - the collection of survey data by means of self-administered questionnaires on the Internet - are becoming increasingly popular, perhaps mostly because of advantageous cost factors. If e-mail contacts are used, the cost benefit of a Web survey, compared with a mail or telephone survey, could be major. The reverse of the medal is that Web access is far from universal, and hence Web surveys only permit inference to populations of Web users. However, the Web can be used in combination with traditional response modes in a mixed-mode approach. Such an approach enables data collection from a probability sample of a general population, while still aiming at reducing costs by using the Web.

This thesis focuses on mixed-mode approaches in which (1) mail contacts are used and (2) a choice between a mail questionnaire and a Web questionnaire is offered. In the first paper, a theoretical framework is developed, enabling comparisons between different mixed-mode approaches with respect to minimum expected cost, subject to a precision requirement. A limited numerical study is performed to examine how the cost is influenced by the Web access rate and the Web response propensity. In the second paper, three mixed-mode approaches are evaluated empirically with respect to cost-efficiency. The mixed-mode approaches are compared with a mail-based reference approach with no Web response option. The cost-efficiency analysis is based on the results of a survey experiment, conducted in a population of university students in spring 2004. It is concluded that each of the three mixed-mode approaches was more cost-efficient than the reference approach.

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Year of publication2005
Bibliographic typeThesis, diplomas
Full text availabilityAvailable on request
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Web survey bibliography - 2005 (76)

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