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Web Survey Bibliography

Title Survey Research Response Rates: Internet Technology vs. Snail Mail
Year 2013
Access date 02.02.2015
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Abstract

According to Pew Internet & American Life Project Surveys, the percentage of U. S. adults online has increased from 40-45% in March 2000 to 70-80% in December 2009 (see http://www.pewinternet.org). A significant percentage increase such as this suggests a concomitant increase in response rates for online survey research. The implications of increased response rates for online survey research as compared with the more traditional “snail mail” approach should lead to enhanced optimism for academic researchers in the various business disciplines, who, quite often, rely heavily on survey data for research purposes. A 1998-1999 study compared accounting academicians’ response rates of surveys with differing modes of distribution and response, the results of which showed that response rates via “snail mail” were roughly twice that of email and WWW form response rates (Odom, Guillian, & Totaro, 1999). The current study compares survey response rates among three different distribution and response modes: so-called “snail mail”; email; and a WWW form. A total of 1800 surveys were distributed among six different business disciplines (Accounting, Economics, Finance, Management, Marketing, and Management Information Systems). In addition to comparing response rates among the three different distribution and response modes, this research also compared response rates among the six business disciplines, as well as other demographic characteristics such as tenure status, rank, institution type, institution size, and AACSB accreditation status. Regular mail was the most frequently used response method for the majority of the respondents in this survey. Results of this study may prove beneficial to researchers who rely on survey instruments in acquiring research data. 

Year of publication2013
Bibliographic typeJournal article
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Web survey bibliography - 2013 (465)

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