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Web Survey Bibliography

Title Mixed-mode surveys of the general population - Results from the European Social Survey mixed-mode experiment
Year 2014
Access date 18.11.2014
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Abstract

This summary reports on a sequential mixed-mode experiment that took place in the UK alongside the face-to-face main round of the 2012 European Social Survey (ESS). The study aimed to test the feasibility of data collection among a randomly selected sample of addresses who were initially invited to take part via a web questionnaire, and were then followed up face-to-face if they did not respond online. 

Key findings include:
 The response rate to the web phase of the mixed-mode survey was 21%, rising to 39% after the face-to-face follow up. This was considerably lower than the response rate obtained for the (face to face only) main ESS survey, which was 55%.
 The profile of the sample who took part in the web phase of the mixed-mode survey differed from the profile of those who took part in the main ESS survey. The web sample was younger and more socio-economically advantaged (they had spent more time in education, were more likely to be in paid work and more likely to live in mid to high income households). Once the face-to-face sample from the mixed-mode study was combined with the web sample, these differences were reduced, though they were not eliminated.
 Once people had started the survey, interview length did not seem to be a major issue – 81% of respondents completed the survey in a single session and there were very few break offs.
 Large numbers of people did not comply with the instructions that were provided to ensure that a household member was randomly selected by the interview program. This raises doubts about the best way of selecting a single respondent from a household with more than one eligible adult when no interviewer is present.
 Our analysis suggests that if additional resource could be used to boost the overall mixed-mode response rate there would still be considerable cost savings when compared with the costs of a face-to-face only design.

Year of publication2014
Bibliographic typeReports, seminars
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Web survey bibliography - Reports, seminars (231)

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