Web Survey Bibliography
The Internet has become an increasingly popular avenue for data collection. Online surveys have many advantages, such as cutting the costs of printing and mailing surveys and reducing time for data collection and entry (Kaplowitz et al. 2004). However, online surveys have disadvantages (Schonlau et al. 2002); most notable being the low response rates relative to other modes of data collection (Hoonakker and Carayon 2009). With growing interest in the use of online surveys (Sue and Ritter 2011), research needs to clarify ways to increase response rates for this survey mode.
The literature identifies several factors that increase response rates for other survey modes, including prenotification (Fox et al. 1988). Notifying participants of a study in advance may increase response rates by alerting individuals that they have been selected as participants and increasing the legitimacy of the study (Fox et al. 1988). One way to inform participants of a study is via mailed introductory postcards. This form of prenotification has been found to increase response rates for both mail (Whiteman et al. 2003) and telephone (Iredell et al. 2004) survey modes. It is less clear whether introductory postcards function similarly for online surveys. What research does exist is inconsistent, with some studies reporting no difference between mail and e-mail prenotification on online survey response rates (Porter and Whitcomb 2007), while other studies suggest that mail prenotification is even less effective compared to e-mail prenotification (Schaefer and Dillman 1998). Other research has focused on differences between introductory postcards and no prenotification at all, generally finding that postcards have the potential to increase response rates for online surveys (Kaplowitz et al. 2004). Overall, findings are inconclusive. Given the costs associated with mail prenotification, additional research on the effectiveness of introductory postcards for online survey response rates is needed.
The purpose of this study was to test whether using an introductory postcard increased the response rate for an online survey among recent alumni from the University of Nevada, Reno (UNR). The Center for Research Design and Analysis (CRDA) at UNR conducts an annual survey of alumni one year after graduation to document graduates’ employment and/or educational standings and to assess how well major programs prepare graduates for life after college. Degree programs, departments, and colleges at UNR use alumni feedback to determine how well educational goals are being met and determine if changes should be made. For this study, one group of randomly-assigned alumni was sent an introductory prenotification postcard, while the second group did not receive a prenotification.
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Web survey bibliography - Survey Practice (65)
- Device and Internet Use among Spanish-dominant Hispanics: Implications for Web Survey Design and Testing...; 2017; Trejo, Y. A. G.; Schoua-Glusberg, A.
- Improving survey response rates: The effect of embedded questions in web survey email Invitations; 2017; Liu, M.; Inchausti, N.
- Mobile-only web survey respondents; 2016; Lugtig, P. J.; Toepoel, V.; Amin, A.
- Effect of a Pre-Paid Incentive on Response Rates to an Address-Based Sampling (ABS) Web-Mail Survey; 2016; Suzer-Gurtekin, Z.; Elkasabi, M.; Liu, Me.; Lepkowski, J. M.; Curtin, R.; McBee, R.
- Adaptive survey designs to minimize survey mode effects – a case study on the Dutch Labor Force...; 2016; Calinescu, M.; Schouten, B.
- Navigation Buttons in Web-Based Surveys: Respondents’ Preferences Revisited in the Laboratory; 2016; Romano Bergstrom, J. C.; Erdman, C.; Lakhe, S.
- Collecting Data from mHealth Users via SMS Surveys: A Case Study in Kenya; 2016; Johnson, D.
- “Money Will Solve the Problem”: Testing the Effectiveness of Conditional Incentives for...; 2016; DeCamp, W.; Manierre, M. J.
- Effects of Incentive Amount and Type of Web Survey Response Rates; 2016; Coopersmith, J.; Vogel, L. K.; Bruursema, T.; Feeney, K.
- Effect of a Post-paid Incentive on Response to a Web-based Survey; 2016; Brown, J. A.; Serrato, C. A.; Hugh, M.; Kanter, M. H.; A.; Spritzer, K. L.; Hays, R. D.
- The 2013 Census Test: Piloting Methods to Reduce 2020 Census Costs; 2016; Walejko, G. K.; Miller, P. V.
- Computers, Tablets, and Smart Phones: The Truth About Web-based Surveys; 2016; Merle, P.; Gearhart, S.; Craig, C.; Vandyke, M.; Brooks, M. E.; Rahimi, M.
- Scientific Surveys Based on Incomplete Sampling Frames and High Rates of Nonresponse; 2016; Fahimi, M.; Barlas, F. M.; Thomas, R. K.; Buttermore, N. R.
- Probabilistic Web Survey Methodology in Education Centers: An Example in Spanish Schools; 2015; Tapia, J. A., Menendez, J. A.
- Understanding Participation in a Web-Based Measurement Burst Design: Response Metrics and Predictors...; 2015; Griffin, J., Patrick, M. E.
- Rating Scales in Survey Research: Using the Rasch model to illustrate the middle category measurement...; 2015; Bradley, K. D., Peabody, M. R., Akers, K. S., Knutson, N. M.
- Facebook as a Tool for Respondent Tracing; 2015; Schneider, S. J., Burke-Garcia, A., Thomas, G.
- Social Science Survey Methodology Training: Understanding the Past and Assessing the Present to Shape...; 2015; Jans, M., Meyers, M., Fricker, S.
- Future Training of Survey Methodologists; 2015; Kolenikov, S., Jans, M., O'Hare, B. C., Fricker, S.
- Survey participation via mobile devices in a probability-based online-panel: Prevalence, determinants...; 2014; Poggio, T., Bosnjak, M., Weyandt, K.
- Examining the Effect of Prenotification Postcards on Online Survey Response Rate in a University Graduate...; 2014; Lalasz, C. B., Doane, M. J., Springer, V. A., Dahir, V. B.
- The Effectiveness of Mailed Invitations for Web Surveys and the Representativeness of Mixed-Mode versus...; 2014; Bandilla, W., Couper, M. P., Kaczmirek, L.
- Respondent-Driven Sampling of Heterosexuals at Increased Risk of HIV Infection; 2014; Batra, P., Gray, S. C., Krishna, N., Prachand, N., Robinson, W. T., Wejnert, C.
- Two Are Better Than One: The Use of a Mixed-Mode Data Collection to Improve the Electoral Forecast; 2014; de Rada, V. D., Pasadas del Amo, S.
- Recent Books and Journals in Public Opinion, Survey Methods, and Survey Statistics; 2014; Callegaro, M.
- Undisclosed Privacy: The Effect of Privacy Rights Design on Response Rates; 2014; Haer, R., Meidert, N.
- The Smartphone Way to Collect Survey Data; 2013; Stapleton, C.
- Measuring Compliance in Mobile Longitudinal Repeated-Measures Design Study; 2013; Link, M. W.
- Is everyone able to use a smartphone in survey research?; 2013; Fernee, H., Sonck, N.
- A Comparison of Data Quality Across Modes in a Mixed-Mode Collection of Administrative Records; 2013; Worthy, M., Mayclin, D.
- Reconceptualizing Survey Representativeness for Evaluating and Using Nonprobability Samples; 2013; Fan, D. P.
- To Click, Type, or Drag? Evaluating Speed of Survey Data Input Methods; 2013; Husser, J. A., Husser, J. A.
- The smart(phone) way to collect survey data; 2013; Stapleton, C.
- Do Mail and Internet Surveys Produce Different Item Nonresponse Rates? An Experiment Using Random Mode...; 2012; Millar, M. M., Dillman, D. A.
- Item Nonresponse in a Client Survey of the General Public; 2012; Israel, G. D., Lamm, A. J.
- Comparing Item Nonresponse across Different Delivery Modes in General Population Surveys; 2012; Lesser, V. M., Newton, L., Yang, D.
- Determinants of Item Nonresponse to Web and Mail Respondents in Three Address-Based Mixed-Mode Surveys...; 2012; Messer, B. L., Edwards, M. L., Dillman, D. A.
- Exploring Animated Faces Scales in Web Surveys: Drawbacks and Prospects; 2012; Emde, M., Fuchs, M.
- Smart Surveys for Smart Phones: Exploring Various Approaches for Conducting Online Mobile Surveys via...; 2012; Buskirk, T. D., Andrus, C.
- Using Facebook to Locate Sample Members; 2011; Rhodes, B. B., Marks, E. L.
- Paradata in Survey Research; 2011; West, B. T.
- Towards Usage of Avatar Interviewers in Web Surveys; 2011; Jans, M., Malakhoff, L.
- Making Good Use of Survey Paradata; 2010; Lynn, P., Nicolaas, G.
- Multi-Mode and Method Experiment in a Study of Nurses; 2010; Friese, C. R., Lee, C. S., O'Brien, S., Crawford, S. D.
- An Experiment With an Employment Sector Question; 2010; Finno, A. A., Kohout, J.
- Lottery Incentives and Online Survey Response Rates; 2010; Preece, M. J., Johanson, G., Hitchcock, J.
- Practical Considerations in Raking Survey Data; 2009; Battaglia, M. P., Hoaglin, D.C, Franklin, P. D.
- Cell Phone Mainly Households: Coverage and Reach for Telephone Surveys Using RDD Landline Samples; 2009; Boyle, J., Lewis, F., Tefft, B.
- Declining Working Phone Rates Impact Sample Efficiency; 2009; Piekarski, L.
- Using Non-Probability Samples for Confusion Surveys - Mall Intercepts and the Internet; 2009; Ericksen, E. P.