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Web Survey Bibliography

Title R U There? Using Text Messaging as a method of contact in Wireless
Author Buskirk, T. D., Steeh, C. G.
Source General Online Research Conference (GOR) 2004
Year 2004
Access date 10.05.2004
Abstract The number of mobile telephone users within the United States today exceeds 140 million. As the penetration of mobile telephone subscribers increases over the next decade in the United States, using mobile telephones as a mode of data collection for sample surveys that have traditionally used only fixed-land-line telephones will become essential. At the present time, contacting individuals through cellular telephones is a daunting challenge that requires numerous call attempts both to locate working numbers and to reach potential respondents. Even today, however, wireless phone technologies and services may provide more efficient avenues for contacting wireless subscribers other than simply calling them. The most promising of these is text messaging because it can make contact with cell phone users and deliver survey information as well. In this paper we describe an experiment that examines the effectiveness of using text messaging as the primary mechanism for contacting wireless phone subscribers. The proposed research grew from unsystematic attempts to use text messaging in a 2003 national survey using a wireless phone number sampling frame. The experiment to be reported here will compare response rates to a short survey across six conditions: three ways of contacting wireless subscribers for two major United States providers with well developed text message tracking systems but different cost structures. Specifically, the three methods for contacting subscribers include: sending a text-message, sending a message as an advance notice prior to calling and calling directly without sending any kind of message (the control condition). We will use two different providers to assess variation in response rates across provider and to capture some of the variation in text messaging penetration and cost in the United States wireless market. We also assess whether using text messaging to contact a sample of wireless subscribers increases the efficiency of the wireless phone as a mode of administration for surveys even under present conditions. The findings of this research along with continual improvements in wireless phone technology and services will better prepare us for the potentially changing landscape of telephone surveys.
Access/Direct link Homepage - conference (abstract)
Year of publication2004
Bibliographic typeConferences, workshops, tutorials, presentations
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Web survey bibliography - Mobile phone surveys (305)

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