Web Survey Bibliography
Title Internet Survey Developments At Statistics Netherlands
Author Bethlehem, J.
Source 55th ISI Session 2005
Year 2005
Access date 17.05.2005
Abstract National Statistical Offices (NSI’s) collect data with traditional paper forms or with some mode of computer-assisted interviewing (CAI). Application of computer-assisted data collection has three major advantages: (1) It simplifies the work of interviewers, because they do not have to pay attention any more to choosing the correct route through the questionnaire, (2) it improves the quality of the collected data, because answers can be checked and corrected during the interview, and (3) it considerably reduces time needed to process the survey data, and thus improves the timeliness of the survey results. More on the benefits of CAI can be found in Couper et al. (1998). Now that the Internet has developed so rapidly over the last decade, it can also be used for data collection. One form of an Internet survey is a web survey. The questionnaire is designed as a website, which can be accessed by respondents. Another example is an e-mail-survey, which requires that people fill in and return forms that are part of an e- mail or are attached to an e-mail. At first sight, Internet surveys seem to have some attractive advantages. First, it is a simple means to get access to a large group of potential respondents. Second, no interviewers are needed, and there are no mailing costs. Third, surveys can be launched very quickly. No time is lost between the moment the questionnaire is ready and the start of the fieldwork. And fourth, particularly web surveys offer new, attractive possibilities, such as the use of multimedia (sound, pictures, animation, and movies). However, there are methodological problems. These are partly caused by using the Internet for selecting respondents, and partly by using the web as a measuring instrument. If these problems are not seriously addressed, Internet surveys may result in low quality data for which no proper inference can be made with respect to the target population of the survey.
Access/Direct link ISI 2005 homepage
Year of publication2005
Bibliographic typeConferences, workshops, tutorials, presentations
