Web Survey Bibliography
Title Investigating Response Quality in Mobile and Desktop Surveys: A Comparison of Radio Buttons, Visual Analogue Scales and Slider Scales
Author Toepoel, V.; Funke, F.
Year 2014
Access date 16.08.2016
Presentation PDF (184 kB)
Abstract
Mobile devices have smaller displays, touch screens and different methods of navigation compared to desktop computers. This may limit the amount of information that can be placed on a mobile phone screen and it can also affect how a survey is comprehended and completed.
The most traditional rating scales in Web surveys are made from radio buttons. Radio buttons require quite a lot of space. Only a limited number of response options can be presented simultaneously. Otherwise, respondents have to scroll to see all options which may bias ratings.
Visual Analogue Scales (VAS) are operated by point and click: respondents move the mouse arrow to any position on the line and after clicking the mouse button a marker appears. In contrast, slider scales have a handle visible directly on load of the Web page and ratings are 261|Page done by drag and drop. Both scales can either be implemented as discrete or continuous rating scales. A continuous implementation is especially valuable if respondents use mobile devices like smart phone where an efficient use of space is required.
A comparison is needed of radio buttons, VAS, and slider bars to see how they affect usability and data quality on mobile phones compared to regular desktop completion. Finger navigation on mobile phones is less precise than mouse navigation on desktops. This could result in selecting the wrong (not intended) answer option in radio buttons. Slider bars or VAS might be more efficient in selecting the intended response option. We look at response quality indicators, paradata, evaluation of the questionnaire as well as personal characteristics.The usability of question formats is conjectured to be related to the number of scale points. We use an experimental design with question format and 5, 7, 11 and continuous scales. Data are collected in a probability-based panel in the Netherlands.
The most traditional rating scales in Web surveys are made from radio buttons. Radio buttons require quite a lot of space. Only a limited number of response options can be presented simultaneously. Otherwise, respondents have to scroll to see all options which may bias ratings.
Visual Analogue Scales (VAS) are operated by point and click: respondents move the mouse arrow to any position on the line and after clicking the mouse button a marker appears. In contrast, slider scales have a handle visible directly on load of the Web page and ratings are 261|Page done by drag and drop. Both scales can either be implemented as discrete or continuous rating scales. A continuous implementation is especially valuable if respondents use mobile devices like smart phone where an efficient use of space is required.
A comparison is needed of radio buttons, VAS, and slider bars to see how they affect usability and data quality on mobile phones compared to regular desktop completion. Finger navigation on mobile phones is less precise than mouse navigation on desktops. This could result in selecting the wrong (not intended) answer option in radio buttons. Slider bars or VAS might be more efficient in selecting the intended response option. We look at response quality indicators, paradata, evaluation of the questionnaire as well as personal characteristics.The usability of question formats is conjectured to be related to the number of scale points. We use an experimental design with question format and 5, 7, 11 and continuous scales. Data are collected in a probability-based panel in the Netherlands.
Access/Direct link Conference Homepage (abstract) / (full tex)
Year of publication2014
Bibliographic typeConferences, workshops, tutorials, presentations
Web survey bibliography (210)
- In search of best practices; 2017; Kappelhof, J. W. S.; Steijn, S.
- The perils of non-probability sampling; 2017; Bethlehem, J.
- Estimating the Impact of Measurement Differences Introduced by Efforts to Reach a Balanced Response...; 2017; Kappelhof, J. W. S.; De Leeuw, E. D.
- Data chunking for mobile web: effects on data quality; 2017; Lugtig, P. J.; Toepoel, V.
- Are Final Comments in Web Survey Panels Associated with Next-Wave Attrition?; 2016; McLauchlan, C.; Schonlau, M.
- Participation rates of childhood cancer survivors to self-administered questionnaires: a systematic...; 2016; Kilsdonk, E.; Wendel, E.; van Dulmen-den Broeder, E.; van Leeuwen, F.E.; Van Den Berg, M. H.; Jaspers...
- A look into the challenges of mixed-mode surveys; 2016; Klausch, L. T.
- Unintentional Mobile Respondents in Official Statis tics and Their Effect on Data Quality ; 2016; Bakker, J.
- Tracking the Representativeness of an Online Panel Over Time ; 2016; Klausch, L. T.; Scherpenzeel, A.
- Detecting careless respondents in web-based questionnaires: Which method to use?; 2016; Niesen, A. S. M.; Meijer, R. R.; Tendeiro, J. N.
- Establishing the accuracy of online panels for survey research; 2016; Bruggen, E.; van den Brakel, J.; Krosnick, J. A.
- Surveying End-of-Life Medical Decisions in France: Evaluation of an Innovative Mixed-Mode Data Collection...; 2016; Legleye, S; Pennec, S.; Monnier, A.; Stephan, A.; Brouard, N.; Bilsen, J.; Cohen, J.
- Adaptive survey designs to minimize survey mode effects – a case study on the Dutch Labor Force...; 2016; Calinescu, M.; Schouten, B.
- Reducing Underreports of Behaviors in Retrospective Surveys: The Effects of Three Different Strategies...; 2016; Lugtig, P. J.; Glasner, T.; Boeve, A.
- Sunday shopping – The case of three surveys; 2016; Bethlehem, J.
- Predictive inference for non-probability samples: a simulation study ; 2016; Buelens, B.; Burger, J.; van den Brakel, J.
- Does the Inclusion of Non-Internet Households in a Web Panel Reduce Coverage Bias?; 2016; Eckman, S.
- Internet Panels, Professional Respondents, and Data Quality; 2015; Matthijsse, S.; De Leeuw, E. D.; Hox, J.
- Effect of Web-Based Versus Paper-Based Questionnaires and Follow-Up Strategies on Participation Rates...; 2015; Kilsdonk, E.; van den Heuvel-Eibrink, M. M.; van Dulmen-den Broeder, E.; van der Pal, H. J. H.; van...
- Designing web surveys for the multi-device internet; 2015; de Bruijne, M.
- Self-identification of occupation in web surveys: requirements for search trees and look-up tables ; 2015; Tijdens, K. G.
- Tailored fieldwork design to increase representative household survey response: an experiment in the...; 2015; Luiten, A.; Schouten, B.
- Calendar Instruments in Retrospective Web Surveys; 2015; Glasner, T.; van der Vaart, W.; Dijkstra, W.
- Validating self-reported mobile phone use in adults using a newly developed smartphone application; 2015; Goedhart, G., Kromhout, H., Wiart, J., Vermeulen, R.
- Face-to-Face or Sequential Mixed-Mode Surveys Among Non-Western Minorities in the Netherlands: The Effect...; 2015; Kappelhof, J.
- Finding Item Nonresponse Patterns: Three Internet Survey Experiments Into the Effects of Nonresponse...; 2015; Van De Maat, J.
- The effectiveness of incentives on recruitment and retention rates: an experiment in a web survey; 2015; Mulder, J.; Douhou, S.
- Using WhatsApp as a Survey Tool; 2015; Ongena, Y. P.; Haan, M.
- The Effects of Adding a Mobile-Compatible Design to the American Life Panel; 2015; Toepoel, V.; Lugtig, P. J.; Amin, A.
- Adapting Grid Questions for Mobile Devices; 2015; de Bruijne, M.; Das, M.; van Soest, A.; Wijnant, A.
- Correlates of early and late responses to surveys in an online panel; 2015; Douhou, S.; Vis, C.
- Higher Item Nonresponse Rates Caused by Slider Scales in Web Surveys; 2015; Toepoel, V.; Funke, F.
- Coding Surveys on their Item Characteristics: Reliability Diagnostics; 2015; Bais, F.; Schouten, B.; Toepoel, V.
- Selection error in single- and mixed mode surveys of the Dutch general population; 2015; Hox, J., Klausch, L. T., Schouten, B.
- Investigating Response Quality in Mobile and Desktop Surveys: A Comparison of Radio Buttons, Visual...; 2014; Toepoel, V.; Funke, F.
- 640 Current trends in management of high-risk prostate cancer in Europe: Results of a web-based survey...; 2014; Briganti, A., Isbarn, H., Ost, P., Ploussard, G., Sooriakumaran, P., Van Den Bergh, R.C.N., Van Oort...
- Query on Data Collection for Social Surveys; 2014; Blanke, K., Luiten, A.
- Improving Response Rates and Questionnaire Design for Mobile Web Surveys; 2014; de Bruijne, M., Wijnant, A.
- 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.
- Mining “Big Data” using Big Data Services ; 2014; Reips, U.-D., Matzat, U.
- Barriers and facilitators for participation in a preventive pelvic floor muscle training program from...; 2014; Albers-Heitner, P., Moossdorff-Steinhauser, H., Weemhoff, M., Nieman, F., Berghmans, B.
- Informing panel members about study results; 2014; Scherpenzeel, A., Toepoel, V.
- Targeting the bias – the impact of mass media attention on sample composition and representativeness...; 2014; Steinmetz, S., Oez, F., Tijdens, K. G.
- Exploring selection biases for developing countries - is the web a promising tool for data collection...; 2014; Tijdens, K. G., Steinmetz, S.
- Evaluating mixed-mode redesign strategies against benchmark surveys: the case of the Crime Victimization...; 2014; Klausch, L. T., Hox, J., Schouten, B.
- The quality of ego-centered social network data in web surveys: experiments with a visual elicitation...; 2014; Marcin, B., Matzat, U., Snijders, C.
- Measuring the very long, fuzzy tail in the occupational distribution in web-surveys; 2014; Tijdens, K. G.
- Social desirability is the same in offline, online, and paper surveys: A meta-analysis; 2014; Dodou, D., de Winter J. C. F.
- The impact of contact effort on mode-specific selection and measurement bias; 2014; Schouten, B., van der Laan, J., Cobben, F.
- Clicking vs. Dragging: Different Uses of the Mouse and Their Implications for Online Surveys; 2014; Sikkel, D., Steenbergen, R., Gras, S.