Web Survey Bibliography
Title Privacy Concerns in Responses to Sensitive Questions. A Survey Experiment on the Influence of Numeric Codes on Unit Nonresponse, Item Nonresponse, and Misreporting
Author Bader, F., Bauer, J., Kroher, M., Riordan, P.
Source methods, data, analyses, 10, 1, pp. 47-72
Year 2016
Access date 30.05.2016
Full text PDF (1.4 MB)
Abstract Paper-and-pencil surveys are a widely used method for gaining data. Numeric codes printed on the questionnaire are often a prerequisite for the use of scan software, which, in turn, permits a fast and efficient entering of the data from such surveys. However, printed numbers used for optical mark recognition on a questionnaire can provoke concerns about anonymity that may lead to unit nonresponse, item nonresponse, and misreporting. To test this, we conducted an experiment in a mail survey on group-focused enmity, printing a scanner code on half of the questionnaires. Our results show no significant deviation concerning unit nonresponse. We find a higher item nonresponse and misreporting bias towards socially desirable answers in sensitive questions if the questionnaire is marked with a code. The influence of biased responses on regression results is minor. If the numeric code is brought to the respondents’ attention in the cover letter, regression coefficients might be affected. Therefore we conclude that researchers should trade off these small biases against the usefulness of the code. From a methodological perspective, we recommend not to make a statement concerning the numeric code in the cover letter. Our results are of relevance for researchers conducting paper-and-pencil surveys as well as for those analyzing data sets from these surveys. While this article analyzes biases caused by scanner codes, the results are potentially transferable to printed identification numbers used in panel studies, in survey experiments, or to match paradata or context data.
Access/Direct link Journal Homepage (abstract) / (full text)
Year of publication2016
Bibliographic typeJournal article
Web survey bibliography (129)
- Social desirability bias in self-reported well-being measures: evidence from an online survey; 2017; Caputo, A.
- Comparability of web and telephone surveys for the measurement of subjective well-being; 2017; Sarracino, F.; Riillo, C. F. A.; Mikucka, M.
- Privacy Concerns in Responses to Sensitive Questions. A Survey Experiment on the Influence of Numeric...; 2016; Bader, F., Bauer, J., Kroher, M., Riordan, P.
- Thinking Inside the Box Visual Design of the Response Box Affects Creative Divergent Thinking in an...; 2016; Mohr, A. H.; Sell, A.; Lindsay, T.
- Detecting Insufficient Effort Responding with an Infrequency Scale: Evaluating Validity and Participant...; 2016; Huang, J. L.; Bowling, N. A.; Liu, Me.; Li, Yu.
- Detecting careless respondents in web-based questionnaires: Which method to use?; 2016; Niesen, A. S. M.; Meijer, R. R.; Tendeiro, J. N.
- Eye-tracking Social Desirability Bias; 2016; Kaminska, O.; Foulsham, T.
- Short and Sweet? Length and Informative Content of Open-Ended Responses Using SMS as a Research Mode; 2016; Walsh, E.; Brinker, J. K.
- Participant recruitment and data collection through Facebook: the role of personality factors; 2016; Rife, S. C.; Cate, K. L.; Kosinski, M.; Stillwell, D.
- Quantifying Under- and Overreporting in Surveys Through a Dual-Questioning-Technique Design. ; 2016; de Jong , M.; Fox, J.-P.; Steenkamp, J. - B. E. M.
- Will They Stay or Will They Go? Personality Predictors of Dropout in Online Study; 2016; Nestler, S.; Thielsch, M.; Vasilev, E.; Back, M.
- Development of a scale to measure skepticism toward electronic word-of-mouth; 2016; Zhang, Xia.; Ko, M.; Carpenter, D.
- Psychological research in the internet age: The quality of web-based data; 2016; Ramsey, S. R.; Thompson, K. L.; McKenzie, M.; Rosenbaum, A.
- Internet Abusive Use Questionnaire: Psychometric properties; 2016; Calvo-Frances, F.
- Equivalence of paper-and-pencil and computerized self-report surveys in older adults; 2016; Weigold, A.; Weigold, I. K.; Drakeford, M. K.; Dykema, S. A.; Smith, C. A.
- A multi-group analysis of online survey respondent data quality: Comparing a regular USA consumer panel...; 2016; Golden, L.; Albaum, G.; Roster, C. A.; Smith, S. M.
- Swapping bricks for clicks: Crowdsourcing longitudinal data on Amazon Turk; 2016; Daly, T. M.; Nataraajan, R.
- A reliability analysis of Mechanical Turk data; 2016; Rouse, S. V.
- Quota Controls in Survey Research.; 2016; Gittelman, S. H.; Thomas, R. K.; Lavrakas, P. J.; Lange, V.
- Exploring Factors in Contributing Student Progress in the Open University; 2016; Arifin, M. H.
- Incentive Types and Amounts in a Web-based Survey of College Students; 2015; Krebs, C.; Planty, M.; Stroop, J.; Berzofsky, M.; Lindquist, C.
- Comparison of telephone RDD and online panel survey modes on CPGI scores and co-morbidities; 2015; Lee, C.-K.; Back, K.-J.; Williams, Ro. J.; Ahn, S.-S.
- Enhancing Response Usability in a Web-based Survey, But Did Anyone Use It?; 2015; Yoder, R.
- Equivalency of Paper Versus Tablet Computer Survey Data; 2015; Ravert, R. D.; Gomez-Scott, J.; Donnellan, M. B.
- Development and Validation of a Scale for Social Exhibitionism on the Internet (SEXI); 2015; Vetter, M.; Eib, C.; Hill-Kloss, S.; Wollscheid, P.; Hagemann, D.
- Recruiting for addiction research via Facebook; 2015; Thornton, L. K.; Harris, K.; Baker, A.; Johnson, M.; Kay-Lambkin, F. J.
- Internet Research in Psychology; 2015; Gosling, S. D., Mason, W.
- The Prostate Cancer Journey Results of an Online Survey of Men and Their Partners; 2015; O'Shaughnessy, P. K., Laws, T. A., Esterman, A.
- Twelve-month prevalence and predictors of self-reported suicidal ideation and suicide attempt among...; 2015; Kang, E. H., Kim, G. M., Hyun, M. K., Choi, S. M., Kim, J. M., Woo, J. M.
- Emotion management in online groupwork reported by Chinese students; 2014; Xu, J., Du, J., Fan, X.
- Quality of physical therapy from a patient's perspective; factor analysis on web-based survey data...; 2014; Scholte, M., Calsbeek, H., Nijhuis-van der Sanden, M. W. G., Braspenning, J.
- Discriminating the Effects of Cannabis sativa and Cannabis indica: A Web Survey of Medical Cannabis...; 2014; Pearce, D. D., Mitsouras, K., Irizarry, K. J.
- Awareness and Treatment of Alcohol Dependence in Japan: Results from Internet-Based Surveys in Persons...; 2014; Taguchi, Y., Takei, Y., Sasai, R., Murteira, S.
- Awareness and correlates of the role of physical activity in breast cancer prevention among Japanese...; 2014; Miyawaki, R., Shibata, A., Ishii, K., Oka, K.
- Differences in intrapersonal and interactional empowerment between lurkers and posters in health-related...; 2014; Petrovcic, A., Petric, G.
- Evaluating mixed-mode redesign strategies against benchmark surveys: the case of the Crime Victimization...; 2014; Klausch, L. T., Hox, J., Schouten, B.
- Confirmation Bias in Web-Based Search: A Randomized Online Study on the Effects of Expert Information...; 2014; Schweiger, S., Oeberst, A., Cress, U.
- The Use of Paradata to Predict Future Cooperation in a Panel Study; 2014; Funke, F., Goeritz, A.
- The impact of New Zealand's 2008 prohibition of piperazine-based party pills on young people'...; 2013; Sheridan, J., Dong, C. Y., Butler, R., Barnes, J.
- PRM144 – An adaptable methodology for the design, implementation and conduct of a web-based survey...; 2013; Yeomans, K., Kawata, A. K., Bassel, M., Burk, C. T., Daniels, S. R., Wilcox, T. K.
- The internet user profile of Italian families of patients with rare diseases: a web survey; 2013; Tozzi, A. E., Mingarelli, R., Agricola, E., Gonfiantini, M., Pandolfi, E., Carloni, E., Gesualdo, F.,...
- Education in the Responsible Conduct of Research in Psychology: Methods and Scope; 2013; DiLorenzo, T. A., Becker-Fiegeles, J., Gibelman, M.
- Relative Mode Effects on Data Quality in Mixed-Mode Surveys by an Instrumental Variable; 2013; Vannieuwenhuyze, J. T. A., Revilla, M.
- Reaching and Hearing the Invisible: Organizational Research on Invisible Stigmatized Groups via Web...; 2013; Trau, R. N. C., Haertel, C. E. J., Haertel, G. F.
- On-line questionnaire completion time and personality test scores; 2013; Furnham, A., Hyde, G., Trickey, G.
- Why are you leaving me?? - Personality predictors of answering drop out in an online-study; 2013; Thielsch, M., Nestler, S., Back, M.
- The association between online gaming, social phobia, and depression: an internet survey; 2012; Chen, M.-H., Huang, P.-C., Bai, Y.-M., Wei, H.-T.
- P02.04. Internet survey confirms strong interest in Yoga among fibromyalgia patients; 2012; Carson, J., Bennett, R., Jones, K., Mist, S.
- GRE® program announces big benefits and big savings for GRE® test takers worldwide; 2011
- Going online with assessment; 2011; Burke, E., Mahoney-Phillips, J., Bowler, W., Downey, K.