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 - Funke, F. (19)
- Higher Item Nonresponse Rates Caused by Slider Scales in Web Surveys; 2015; Toepoel, V.; Funke, F.
- Investigating Response Quality in Mobile and Desktop Surveys: A Comparison of Radio Buttons, Visual...; 2014; Toepoel, V.; Funke, F.
- The Use of Paradata to Predict Future Cooperation in a Panel Study; 2014; Funke, F., Goeritz, A.
- HTML5 and mobile Web surveys: A Web experiment on new input types; 2013; Funke, F.
- Break-off and attrition in the GIP amongst technologically experienced and inexperienced participants...; 2013; Blom, A. G., Bossert, D., Clark, V., Funke, F., Gebhard, F., Holthausen, A., Krieger, U., Wachenfeld...
- Nonresponse and Nonresponse Bias in a Probability-Based Internet Panel; 2013; Blom, A. G., Bossert, D., Funke, F., Gebhard, F., Holthausen, A., Krieger, U.
- Enhancing Web Surveys With New HTML5 Input Types; 2012; Funke, F.
- Mobile Survey Participation Rates in Commercial Market Research: A Meta-Analysis; 2012; Bosnjak, M., Poggio, T., Becker, K. R., Funke, F., Wachenfeld, A., Fischer, B.
- High potential for mobile Web surveys: Findings from a survey representative for German Internet users...; 2012; Funke, F., Wachenfeld, A.
- Why semantic differentials in Web-based research should be made from visual analogue scales and not...; 2012; Funke, F., Reips, U.-D.
- Web-based rating scales: HTML 5 and other innovations; 2011; Funke, F.
- Ignoring the compatibility of online questionnaires may bias the psychological composition of your sample...; 2011; Funke, F.
- Explaining more variance with visual analogue scales: A Web experiment; 2011; Funke, F.
- Internet-Based Measurement With Visual Analogue Scales: An Experimental Investigation; 2010; Funke, F.
- Making small effects observable: Reducing error by using visual analogue scales; 2009; Funke, F., Reips, U.-D.
- Yes, VASs can! Increasing the accuracy of survey measurements with computerized visual analogue scales...; 2009; Funke, F., Reips, U.-D.
- Response Formats in Cross-cultural Comparisons in Web-based Surveys; 2009; Thomas, R. K.l, Terhanian, G., Funke, F.
- Using Audio and Video Clips in Web Surveys — Feasibility and Impact on Data Quality; 2007; Fuchs, M., Funke, F.
- Dynamic Forms: Online Surveys 2.0 ; 2007; Funke, F., Reips, U.-D.