The development of the web survey has led to significant strides in questionnaire survey methodology, including its potential to substantially increase sample sizes at minimal costs. Despite its ...advantages, web surveys typically achieve lower response rates from participants compared to more conventional survey methods.
The aim of this review was to evaluate strategies to increase the response rate to web surveys.
CINAHL (EBSCO), MEDLINE Complete, the Cochrane database of systematic reviews, the Cochrane central register of controlled trials and Psych Info were searched, from inception to the 24th of June, 2021. The Boolean search phrase (Ti: Web survey* OR online survey* OR internet survey*) AND (Ti: response rate* OR nonresponse* or participation rate*) was used. This was supplemented by a secondary search of the reference lists. To be eligible for inclusion in the review, papers had to evaluate one or more strategies to improve response rates to web surveys. Experimental and quasi experimental studies were included in the review.
A total of 159 papers were identified. Following removal of duplicates, and further screening by two independent reviewers, 45 papers met the inclusion and exclusion criteria, and were included in the final review. The use of e-mail pre-notification, email invitation and two reminders were found to increase response rates to web surveys as do the use of a semi-automatic log-in, a simple design and a short survey which takes around 10 min to complete. Incentives, including entry into a prize draw with a cash prize considered to be of value to the participants also increase response rates.
Research studies are needed to explore whether the different strategies used by researchers with the intent to improve response rates are acceptable to potential participants and to evaluate the potential synergistic effect of combinations of several strategies identified in this review.
Tweetable abstract: Email prenotification, email invitation, 2 reminders, simple 10 min design and lottery incentives improve response rates to web surveys
Background
A web-based survey is a novel method for data capture. Some studies have applied web-based surveys in pediatrics, but few of them have reported data on the differences between web-based ...and traditional questionnaire surveys.
Objective
The objective of our study was to evaluate the internal consistency of a web-based survey and compare it with a traditional questionnaire survey in pediatrics.
Methods
A convenience sample of caregivers was invited to participate in the survey on feeding patterns and their children’s eating behaviors if their children were aged 2 to 7 years. A web-based survey and a traditional questionnaire survey were carried out between October 2018 and July 2019. A total of 1085 caregivers were involved in this study, and they were divided into the following three groups based on methods and sources: (1) web-based survey from a web source, (2) web-based survey from a hospital source, and (3) traditional questionnaire survey from a hospital source. The data were then compared and analyzed.
Results
A total of 735 caregivers participated in the web-based survey and 350 caregivers participated in the traditional questionnaire survey, and 816 cases were then included in the analyses after data processing. The effective rate of the web-based survey was 70.1% (515/735), and the completeness rate of the traditional questionnaire survey was 86.0% (301/350). There were no significant differences between web-based surveys from different sources. However, demographic characteristics were significantly different between the web-based and traditional questionnaire surveys, mainly in terms of age and caregivers (χ²4=16.509, P=.002 and χ²4=111.464, P<.001, respectively). Caregivers of children aged 2 to 3 years and grandparents were more likely to respond to the web-based survey. Age-specific stratified analysis showed that the score of “monitoring” and the reporting rate of “poor appetite” in children aged 2 to 3 years were significantly higher in the web-based survey compared to the traditional questionnaire survey after adjusting for demographic characteristics.
Conclusions
A web-based survey could be a feasible tool in pediatric studies. However, differences in demographic characteristics and their possible impacts on the results should be considered in the analyses.
Understanding Society is a household panel survey with continuous fieldwork (monthly samples) using a mixed mode design. Prior to March 2020, around half of all interviews were carried out ...face-to-face, amounting to around 1,150 interviews per month. This article outlines how the survey rapidly transitioned to a protocol without face-to-face interviews and presents some initial indicators of the impact of the change on field outcomes.
Despite the growing popularity of online opt-in samples in criminology, recent work shows that resultant findings often do not generalize. Not all opt-in samples are alike, however, and matching may ...improve data quality. Replicating and extending prior work, we compare the generalizability of relational inferences from unmatched and matched opt-in samples. Estimating identical models for four criminal justice outcomes, we compare multivariate regression results from national matched (YouGov) and unmatched (MTurk) opt-in samples to those from the General Social Survey (GSS). YouGov coefficients are almost always in the same direction as GSS coefficients, especially when statistically significant, and are mostly of a similar magnitude; less than 10% of the YouGov and GSS coefficients differ significantly. By contrast, MTurk coefficients are more likely to be in the wrong direction, more likely to be much larger or smaller, and are about three times as likely to differ significantly from GSS coefficients. Matched opt-in samples provide a relatively inexpensive data source for criminal justice researchers, compared to probability samples, and also appear to carry a smaller generalizability penalty than unmatched samples. Our study suggests relational inferences from matched opt-in samples are more likely to generalize than those from unmatched samples.
The crisis of forced migrants from Ukraine due to the war became one of the biggest in Europe in the 20th–21st centuries. A large increase in the number of refugees due to the war in Ukraine occurred ...after the start of the active phase of hostilities on February 24, 2022. Germany remains one of the countries that received the largest number of forced migrants from Ukraine. It is relevant to study the living conditions, employment, lifestyle, leisure time, well-being and future plans of forced migrants from Ukraine in Germany (using the example of the city of Konstanz). We conducted an exploratory web survey: respondents were interviewed using a formalized questionnaire with a series of open-ended questions implemented on the LimeSurvey online platform. Based on the results of the analysis, the main problems faced by Ukrainian refugees in the city of Konstanz were identified: living conditions and the lack of places in kindergartens. Both problems are characteristic of this city for many years before the war in Ukraine. Among the main features that distinguish forced migrants from Ukraine in connection with the war is a large share of highly qualified persons and persons with completed higher education. Plans for further stay in Germany or return to Ukraine deserve special attention – almost half of the respondents said that they plan to stay in Germany forever, and almost all the rest - to return to Ukraine as soon as it becomes possible. This information also brings new challenges for the country's migration policy and needs further discussion.
In addition, a high sensitivity to questions about the property and financial status in Ukraine before the start of the Russian attack in 2022 was revealed.
While the supply of cannabis is commonly assumed to be dominated by criminal gangs, a sizable share of the domestic cannabis supply is provided by small-scale growers. This article examines the ...nature and scope of small-scale growers’ distribution practices, with a particular focus on cross-country differences and variations between different types of grower-distributors, i.e., “non-suppliers”, “exclusive social suppliers”, “sharers and sellers” and “exclusive sellers”.
Based on a large convenience web survey sample of predominantly small-scale cannabis growers from 18 countries, this article draws on data from two subsamples. The first subsample includes past-year growers in all 18 countries who answered questions regarding their market participation (n = 8,812). The second subsample includes past-year growers in 13 countries, who answered additional questions about their supply practices (n = 2,296).
The majority of the cannabis growers engaged in distribution of surplus products, making them in effect “grower-distributors”. Importantly, many did so as a secondary consequence of growing, and social supply (e.g., sharing and gifting) is much more common than selling. While growers who both shared and sold (“sharers and sellers”), and especially those who only sold (“exclusive sellers”), grew a higher number of plants and were most likely to grow due to a wish to sell for profits, the majority of these are best described as small-scale sellers. That is, the profit motive for growing was often secondary to non-financial motives and most sold to a limited number of persons in their close social network.
We discuss the implications of the findings on the structural process of import-substitution in low-end cannabis markets, including a growing normalization of cannabis supply.
Past research indicates interviewer effects lead to an underestimation of network size and higher nonresponse to the “important matters” name generator. Self-administered surveys offer a potential ...solution, but evidence is mixed and context-specific. We employ a logistic multilevel regression, estimated using a Bayesian Markov Chain Monte Carlo approach, to analyze nonresponse to this name generator from 33 post-electoral surveys across 21 countries in the Comparative National Election Project. We find higher nonresponse in interviewer-administered surveys compared to self-administered surveys, particularly among specific demographic groups. Finally, we discuss the trade-offs in selecting survey modes for collecting ego-network data using this instrument.
•Cross-country analysis of interview modes and nonresponse to the name generator.•Positive association between interviewer-administered surveys and nonresponse.•Consistency with prior studies on survey modes and nonresponse behavior.•Exploration of interplay between interviewer presence and respondent characteristics.•Caution advised in interpreting nonresponse as a sole indicator of social isolation.
This study examines the use of trap questions as indicators of data quality in online surveys. Trap questions are intended to identify respondents who are not paying close attention to survey ...questions, which would mean that they are providing sub-optimal responses to not only the trap question itself but to other questions included in the survey. We conducted three experiments using an online non-probability panel. In the first experiment, we examine whether there is any difference in responses to surveys with one trap question as those that have two trap questions. In the second study, we examine responses to surveys with trap questions of varying difficulty. In the third experiment, we test the level of difficulty, the placement of the trap question, and other forms of attention checks. In all studies, we correlate the responses to the trap question(s) with other data quality checks, most of which were derived from the literature on satisficing. Also, we compare the responses to several substance questions by the response to the trap questions. This would tell us whether participants who failed the trap questions gave consistently different answers from those who passed the trap questions. We find that the rate of passing/failing various trap questions varies widely, from 27% to 87% among the types we tested. We also find evidence that some types of trap questions are more significantly correlated with other data quality measures.
There is a fundamental concern that respondents who complete a survey with a certain delay or only after one or more additional contact attempts are less motivated to provide high quality survey ...data. Given the rise of web surveys to being the currently most widely used mode of the survey method, this concern has increased, and surveyors wonder which mode to choose best. With a systematic review and a meta-analytic approach, we clarify types of and issues in “late responding”, and we address the questions of whether and to what extent late responding is different for web surveys compared to mail surveys. The systematic review reveals that only a third of the 74 studies included report on data quality for any type of late responding. Moreover, a wide range of definitions for late responding was identified, with essentially three types. With a meta-analytical approach, a mean share of 27% (CI: 23%–31%) of late responding across both modes was quantified, and no mode difference was found. A moderator analysis with 16 sample and survey characteristics did not identify a robust moderator across modes. In addition, our article provides a detailed overview of different survey practices used in web and mail surveys.
Objective The burden of diabetic peripheral neuropathic pain (DPNP) is poorly understood. The present study reported on the current status of DPNP in Japan, to improve our understanding of this ...condition among healthcare providers and inform future clinical research on its prevalence, diagnosis, and management. Methods A cross-sectional, observational study (UMIN000037023) was conducted via a web-based survey. The primary endpoints were the frequency of patients with bilateral foot symptoms, consulting a doctor, understanding DPNP, and reporting problems in daily life, as well as treatment awareness of patients. Patients Adults ≥20 years old who were registered in the Rakuten Insight Disease Panel and receiving anti-diabetic therapy in Japan were included. Results Bilateral foot pain symptoms were reported by 1,768/7,754 (22.8%) respondents, most commonly intense numbness (13.0%). Of those with symptoms, 55.3% consulted a doctor; the most common reason for not seeking consultation was feeling that symptoms were insufficiently severe to bother their doctor (89.4%). Nearly 60% reported understanding the causes of their symptoms, with diabetes-associated neurologic deficits (58.8%) most commonly identified. About one-quarter reported daily life problems, including an inability to walk for long periods (58.3%) and feeling anxious (58.1%). Treatment awareness was reported by 18.2%; oral medications were commonly recognized (64.6%). Conclusion In Japan, 22.8% of patients with diabetes have bilateral foot pain symptoms; some experience problems in their daily life without understanding the causes of their symptoms. This supports the importance of actions to increase awareness and minimize DPNP-associated impairment of daily life in patients with diabetes.
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