Web Survey Bibliography
Title Do access panels really yield representative results?
Author Faas, T.
Year 2004
Access date 10.05.2004
Abstract The article deals with the question whether online surveys based on offline-recruited access panels yield results that are representative for all internet users. According to the current "recommendations for online surveys" of ADM (Association of German Market Research Institutes), online surveys yield representative results, if and only if participants are recruited offline prior to taking part in the survey. Access panels meet this requirement. However, little research has been conducted to test whether the assumption that access panels actually do yield representative results holds. The present analysis is designed to test this proposition.
The analysis is based on two election surveys run prior to and after the 2002 German federal election. The questionnaire that was used was identical as was the target population - German internet users aged 16 or older. However, the methodological design was different. The first survey is a representative sample of all Germans (n=3.263), who were interviewed personally. Given that, a representative sub-sample of German Internet users should be among them. Only this sub-sample will be used for the comparison. It will be compared to the second survey, which comprises 1.165 German Internet users that were randomly drawn from the access panel of the market research institute INRA. Both samples should yield identical results. Hence, they will be compared including socio-economic variables, variables covering internet usage as well as substantial (political science) variables. Furthermore, it will be tested whether and how a weighting that matches the distributions of sex, age and education in both samples affects the outcomes. The results show that access panels do not yield representative results. Instead, they are biased with experienced, "heavy" internet users being considerably over-represented, which also affects the substantial results significantly.
The analysis is based on two election surveys run prior to and after the 2002 German federal election. The questionnaire that was used was identical as was the target population - German internet users aged 16 or older. However, the methodological design was different. The first survey is a representative sample of all Germans (n=3.263), who were interviewed personally. Given that, a representative sub-sample of German Internet users should be among them. Only this sub-sample will be used for the comparison. It will be compared to the second survey, which comprises 1.165 German Internet users that were randomly drawn from the access panel of the market research institute INRA. Both samples should yield identical results. Hence, they will be compared including socio-economic variables, variables covering internet usage as well as substantial (political science) variables. Furthermore, it will be tested whether and how a weighting that matches the distributions of sex, age and education in both samples affects the outcomes. The results show that access panels do not yield representative results. Instead, they are biased with experienced, "heavy" internet users being considerably over-represented, which also affects the substantial results significantly.
Abstract - optional Gegenstand des Beitrags ist die Frage der Repräsentativität von Access Panels. Nach den aktuellen ADM-Empfehlungen sollen "Internet-Umfragen auf der Grundlage einer vorherigen Offline-Auswahl bzw. Offline-Rekrutierung mittels geeigneter Screening-Techniken durchgeführt werden". Nur auf diesem Wege - also etwa über Access Panels - können demnach für die Internet-Nutzer repräsentative Aussagen getroffen werden. Forschungen, ob sich dieser Weg tatsächlich als der "Königsweg" der Online-Umfrageforschung erweist, fehlen bisher allerdings weitgehend. An dieser Stelle soll der Beitrag ansetzen. Im Umfeld der Bundestagswahl 2002 wurden zwei hinsichtlich des Fragenprogramms identische Umfragen durchgeführt. Ebenfalls identisch - zumindest im Idealfall - ist die Grundgesamtheit: Diese besteht in beiden Fällen aus den deutschen Internet-Nutzern ab 16 Jahren. Deutliche Unterschiede zwischen den beiden Umfragen ergeben sich allerdings hinsichtlich ihrer Methodik. Bei der ersten Umfrage handelt es sich um eine bevölkerungsrepräsentative Befragung von 3.263 Personen, die im Rahmen von persönlicher Interviews befragt wurden. Darunter sollte sich auch ein repräsentatives Sample der deutschen Internet-Nutzer befinden. Diesem Subsample wird die zweite Umfrage gegenübergestellt: Hierbei handelt es sich um eine Online-Befragung von 1.165 deutschen Internet-Nutzern, die zufällig aus dem offline rekrutierten Access Panel des Meinungsforschungsinstituts INRA ausgewählt wurden. Im Idealfall sollten beiden Stichproben identische Ergebnisse liefern. Daher werden diese beiden Stichproben sowohl hinsichtlich ihrer sozialstrukturellen Zusammensetzung, ihres Online-Verhaltens als auch hinsichtlich ihrer politischen Einstellungen verglichen. Dabei wird auch eine Gewichtung, die die Verteilung von Alter, Geschlecht und Bildung in beiden Samples anpasst, verwendet. Letztlich zeigt sich allerdings, dass Access Panels nicht zu repräsentativen Online-Umfragen führen. Vielmehr sind sie in Richtung erfahrener "Heavy User" verzerrt, was sich auch auf die substanziellen Variablen auswirkt.
Access/Direct link Homepage - conference (abstract)
Year of publication2004
Bibliographic typeConferences, workshops, tutorials, presentations
Web survey bibliography - Germany (361)
- Interviewer effects on onliner and offliner participation in the German Internet Panel; 2017; Herzing, J. M. E.; Blom, A. G.; Meuleman, B.
- Comparing the same Questionnaire between five Online Panels: A Study of the Effect of Recruitment Strategy...; 2017; Schnell, R.; Panreck, L.
- Push2web or less is more? Experimental evidence from a mixed-mode population survey at the community...; 2017; Neumann, R.; Haeder, M.; Brust, O.; Dittrich, E.; von Hermanni, H.
- Social Desirability and Undesirability Effects on Survey Response latencies; 2017; Andersen, H.; Mayerl, J.
- Comparison of response patterns in different survey designs: a longitudinal panel with mixed-mode and...; 2017; Ruebsamen, N.; Akmatov, M. K.; Castell, S.; Karch, A.; Mikolajczyk, R. T.
- Mobile Research im Kontext der digitalen Transformation; 2017; Friedrich-Freksa, M.
- Kognitives Pretesting; 2017; Neuert, C.
- Grundzüge des Datenschutzrechts und aktuelle Datenschutzprobleme in der Markt- und Sozialforschung; 2017; Schweizer, A.
- Article Establishing an Open Probability-Based Mixed-Mode Panel of the General Population in Germany...; 2017; Bosnjak, M.; Dannwolf, T.; Enderle, T.; Schaurer, I.; Struminskaya, B.; Tanner, A.; Weyandt, K.
- Socially Desirable Responding in Web-Based Questionnaires: A Meta-Analytic Review of the Candor Hypothesis...; 2016; Gnambs, T.; Kaspar, K.
- Methodological Aspects of Central Left-Right Scale Placement in a Cross-national Perspective; 2016; Scholz, E.; Zuell, C.
- Predicting and Preventing Break-Offs in Web Surveys; 2016; Mittereder, F.
- Incorporating eye tracking into cognitive interviewing to pretest survey questions; 2016; Neuert, C.; Lenzner, T.
- Geht’s auch mit der Maus? – Eine Methodenstudie zu Online-Befragungen in der Jugendforschung...; 2016; Heim, R.; Konowalczyk, S.; Grgic, M.; Seyda, M.; Burrmann, U.; Rauschenbach, T.
- Comparing Cognitive Interviewing and Online Probing: Do They Find Similar Results?; 2016; Meitinger, K., Behr, D.
- Device Effects - How different screen sizes affect answers in online surveys; 2016; Fisher, B.; Bernet, F.
- Effects of motivating question types with graphical support in multi channel design studies; 2016; Luetters, H.; Friedrich-Freksa, M.; Vitt, SGoldstein, D. G.
- Analyzing Cognitive Burden of Survey Questions with Paradata: A Web Survey Experiment; 2016; Hoehne, J. K.; Schlosser, S.; Krebs, D.
- Secondary Respondent Consent in the German Family Panel; 2016; Schmiedeberg, C.; Castiglioni, L.; Schroeder, J.
- Does Changing Monetary Incentive Schemes in Panel Studies Affect Cooperation? A Quasi-experiment on...; 2016; Schaurer, I.; Bosnjak, M.
- Using Cash Incentives to Help Recruitment in a Probability Based Web Panel: The Effects on Sign Up Rates...; 2016; Krieger, U.
- The Mobile Web Only Population: Socio-demographic Characteristics and Potential Bias ; 2016; Fuchs, M.; Metzler, A.
- The Impact of Scale Direction, Alignment and Length on Responses to Rating Scale Questions in a Web...; 2016; Keusch, F.; Liu, M.; Yan, T.
- Web Surveys Versus Other Survey Modes: An Updated Meta-analysis Comparing Response Rates ; 2016; Wengrzik, J.; Bosnjak, M.; Lozar Manfreda, K.
- Retrospective Measurement of Students’ Extracurricular Activities with a Self-administered Calendar...; 2016; Furthmueller, P.
- Privacy Concerns in Responses to Sensitive Questions. A Survey Experiment on the Influence of Numeric...; 2016; Bader, F., Bauer, J., Kroher, M., Riordan, P.
- Ballpoint Pens as Incentives with Mail Questionnaires – Results of a Survey Experiment; 2016; Heise, M.
- Does survey mode matter for studying electoral behaviour? Evidence from the 2009 German Longitudinal...; 2016; Bytzek, E.; Bieber, I. E.
- Forecasting proportional representation elections from non-representative expectation surveys; 2016; Graefe, A.
- Setting Up an Online Panel Representative of the General Population The German Internet Panel; 2016; Blom, A. G.; Gathmann, C.; Krieger, U.
- Online Surveys are Mixed-Device Surveys. Issues Associated with the Use of Different (Mobile) Devices...; 2016; Toepoel, V.; Lugtig, P. J.
- Stable Relationships, Stable Participation? The Effects of Partnership Dissolution and Changes in Relationship...; 2016; Mueller, B.; Castiglioni, L.
- Will They Stay or Will They Go? Personality Predictors of Dropout in Online Study; 2016; Nestler, S.; Thielsch, M.; Vasilev, E.; Back, M.
- Respondent Conditioning in Online Panel Surveys: Results of Two Field Experiments; 2016; Struminskaya, B.
- A Privacy-Friendly Method to Reward Participants of Online-Surveys; 2015; Herfert, M.; Lange, B.; Selzer, A.; Waldmann, U.
- The impact of frequency rating scale formats on the measurement of latent variables in web surveys -...; 2015; Menold, N.; Kemper, C. J.
- Investigating response order effects in web surveys using eye tracking; 2015; Karem Hoehne, J.; Lenzner, T.
- Implementation of the forced answering option within online surveys: Do higher item response rates come...; 2015; Decieux, J. P.; Mergener, A.; Neufang, K.; Sischka, P.
- Translating Answers to Open-ended Survey Questions in Cross-cultural Research: A Case Study on the Interplay...; 2015; Behr, D.
- The Effects of Questionnaire Completion Using Mobile Devices on Data Quality. Evidence from a Probability...; 2015; Bosnjak, M.; Struminskaya, B.; Weyandt, K.
- Are they willing to use the web? First results of a possible switch from PAPI to CAPI/CAWI in an establishment...; 2015; Ellguth, P.; Kohaut, S.
- Measuring Political Knowledge in Web-Based Surveys: An Experimental Validation of Visual Versus Verbal...; 2015; Munzert, S.; Selb, P.
- Changing from CAPI to CAWI in an ongoing household panel - experiences from the German Socio-Economic...; 2015; Schupp, J.; Sassenroth, D.
- Rating Scales in Web Surveys: A Test of New Drag-and-Drop Rating Procedures; 2015; Kunz, T.
- Mode System Effects in an Online Panel Study: Comparing a Probability-based Online Panel with two Face...; 2015; Struminskaya, B.; De Leeuw, E. D.; Kaczmirek, L.
- Higher response rates at the expense of validity? Consequences of the implementation of the ‘forced...; 2015; Decieux, J. P.; Mergener, A.; Neufang, K.; Sischka, P.
- A quasi-experiment on effects of prepaid versus promised incentives on participation in a probability...; 2015; Schaurer, I.; Bosnjak, M.
- Response Effects of Prenotification, Prepaid Cash, Prepaid Vouchers, and Postpaid Vouchers: An Experimental...; 2015; van Veen, F.; Goeritz, A.; Sattler, S.
- Recruiting Respondents for a Mobile Phone Panel: The Impact of Recruitment Question Wording on Cooperation...; 2015; Busse, B.; Fuchs, M.
- The Influence of the Answer Box Size on Item Nonresponse to Open-Ended Questions in a Web Survey ; 2015; Zuell, C.; Menold, N.; Koerber, S.