Web Survey Bibliography
The pursuit of high response rates to minimise the threat of nonresponse bias continues to dominate decisions about resource allocation in survey research. Yet a growing body of research has begun to question this practice. In this study, we use previously unavailable data from a new sampling frame based on population registers to assess the value of different methods designed to increase response rates on the European Social Survey in Switzerland. Using sampling data provides information about both respondents and nonrespondents, making it possible to examine how changes in response rates resulting from the use of different fieldwork methods relate to changes in the composition and representativeness of the responding sample. We compute an R-indicator to assess representativity with respect to the sampling register variables, and find little improvement in the sample composition as response rates increase. We then examine the impact of response rate increases on the risk of nonresponse bias based on Maximal Absolute Bias (MAB), and coefficients of variation between subgroup response rates, alongside the associated costs of different types of fieldwork effort. The results show that increases in response rate help to reduce MAB, while only small but important improvements to sample representativity are gained by varying the type of effort. These findings lend further support to research that has called into question the value of extensive investment in procedures aimed at reaching response rate targets and the need for more tailored fieldwork strategies aimed both at reducing survey costs and minimising the risk of bias.
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Web survey bibliography - Roberts, C. (9)
- Mode Effects on Subjective Well-being Research: Do they Affect Regression Coefficients? ; 2016; Sanchez Tome, R.; Roberts, C.; Staehli, M. E.; Joye, D.
- Mixing modes of data collection in Swiss social surveys: Methodological report of the LIVES-FORS mixed...; 2016; Roberts, C.; Joye, D.; Staehli, M. E.
- Nonresponse and measurement error in an online panel; 2014; Roberts, C., Allum, N., Sturgis, P.
- Participation and engagement in web surveys of the general population: An overview of challenges and...; 2013; Roberts, C.
- User’s Guide to the Advance Release of the 2008-2009 ANES Panel Study ; 2009; DeBell, M.; Krosnick, J. A.; Lupia, A.; Roberts, C.
- Mode effects in Switzerland: non‐response and measurement error on the European Social Survey; 2009; Roberts, C.
- Mixing modes of data collection in surveys: A methodological review; 2007; Roberts, C.
- Telephone versus Face-to-Face Interviewing: Mode Effects on Data Quality and Likely Causes. Report...; 2006; Jaeckle, A., Lynn, P., Roberts, C.,
- Expert workshop on mixed mode data collection in comparative social surveys; 2005; Roberts, C.