This Article Abstract Free Full Text (Free PDF) Free Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Add to Saved Citations Download to citation manager Request Permissions Request Reprints Add to My Marked Citations Citing Articles Citing Articles via Scopus Google Scholar Articles by Greenlaw, C. Articles by Brown-Welty, S. PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Greenlaw, C. Articles by Brown-Welty, S. Social Bookmarking                         What's this?

A Comparison of Web-Based and Paper-Based Survey Methods

Testing Assumptions of Survey Mode and Response Cost

Fresno County Office of Education

Sharon Brown-Welty

California State University, Fresno, sharonb{at}csufresno.edu

Web-based surveys have become more prevalent in areas such as evaluation, research, and marketing research to name a few. The proliferation of these online surveys raises the question, how do response rates compare with traditional surveys and at what cost? This research explored response rates and costs for Web-based surveys, paper surveys, and mixed-mode surveys. The participants included evaluators from the American Evaluation Association (AEA). Results included that mixed-mode, while more expensive, had higher response rates.

Key Words: Web-based surveys • response rates • online surveys • mixed-mode surveys • survey costs

References

• Archer, Thomas M. 2003. Web-based surveys. Journal of Extension 41:1-5.
• Carini, Robert M., John Hayek, George Kuh, John Kennedy, and Judith Ouimet. 2003. College student responses to web and paper surveys: Does mode matter? Research in Higher Education 44:1-19.[CrossRef][Web of Science]
• Cobanoglu, Cihan, Bill Warde, and Patrick Moreo. 2001. A comparison of mail, fax, and web-based survey methods. International Journal of Market Research 43:441-52.
• Converse, Patrick D., Edward Wolfe, Xiaoting Huang, and Fredrick Oswald. 2008. Response rates for mixed-mode surveys using mail and e-mail/web. American Journal of Evaluation 29:99-107.[Abstract/Free Full Text]
• Cook, Colleen, Fred Heath, and Russel L. Thompson. 2000. A meta-analysis of response rates in web- or internet-based surveys. Educational and Psychological Measurement 60:821-36.[Abstract/Free Full Text]
• Dillman, Donald A. 2000. Mail and internet surveys: The Tailored Design method. 2nd ed. New York: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
• Groves, Robert M., Eleanor Singer, and Amy Corning. 2000. Leverage-saliency theory of survey participation: Description and an illustration. Public Opinion Quarterly 64:299-308.[CrossRef][Web of Science][Medline] [Order article via Infotrieve]
• Groves, Robert M., Stanley Presser, and Sarah Dipko. 2004. The role of topic interest in survey participation decisions. Public Opinion Quarterly 68:2-31.[Abstract/Free Full Text]
• Heberlein, Thomas, and Robert Baumgartner. 1978. Factors affecting response rates to mailed questionnaires: A quantitative analysis of the published literature. American Sociological Review 43:447-62.[CrossRef][Web of Science]
• Idleman, Lynda. 2003. Comparing responses to mail and web-based surveys. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the American Educational Research Association, April 21-25 in Chicago, IL.
• Kaplowitz, Michael, Timothy Hadlock, and Ralph Levine. 2004. A comparison of web and mail survey response rates. Public Opinion Quarterly 68:94-101.[Free Full Text]
• Kiernan, Nancy Ellen, Michaela Kiernan, Mary Ann Oyler, and Carolyn Gilles. 2005. Is a web survey as effective as a mail survey? A field experiment among computer users. American Journal of Evaluation 26:245-52.[Abstract]
• Krosnick, Jon A. 1999. Survey research. Annual Review of Psychology 50:537-67.[CrossRef][Web of Science][Medline] [Order article via Infotrieve]
• McCabe, Sean Esteban. 2004. Comparison of web and mail surveys in collecting illicit drug use data: A randomized experiment. Journal of Drug Education 34:61-72.[CrossRef][Web of Science][Medline] [Order article via Infotrieve]
• Mertler, Craig. 2003. What... another survey? Patterns of response and nonresponse from teachers to traditional and web surveys. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the Mid-Western Educational Research Association, October 15-18 in Columbus, OH.
• Occupational Outlook Handbook. 2006. Bureau of Labor Statistics http://www.bls.gov/oco/home.htm (accessed April 2, 2006).
• Paolo, Anthony M., Giulia Bonaminio, Cheryl Gibson, Ty Partridge, and Ken Kallail. 2000. Response rate comparisons of e-mail and mail-distributed student evaluations. Teaching and Learning in Medicine 12:81-4.[CrossRef][Web of Science][Medline] [Order article via Infotrieve]
• Sax, Linda J., Shannon Gillmartin, and Alyssa Bryant. 2003. Assessing response rates and nonresponse bias in web and paper surveys. Research in Higher Education 44:409-32.[CrossRef][Web of Science]
• Schonlau, Mathias, Ronald Fricker, and Marc Elliott. 2002. Conducting research surveys via e-mail and the web. Santa Monica, CA: Rand.
• Shannon, David, and Carol Bradshaw. 2002. A comparison of response rate, response time, and costs of mail and electronic surveys. The Journal of Experimental Education 70:179-92.
• Shannon, David, Todd Johnson, Shelby Searcy, and Alan Lott. 2002. Using electronic surveys: Advice from survey professionals. Practical Assessment, Records and Evaluation. http://pareonline.net/htm/v8n/htm (accessed June 19, 2009).
• Sheehan, Kim. 2001. E-mail survey response rates: A review. Journal of Computer Mediated Communication 6:1-20.
• Sun, Anji, and Randy McClanahan. 2003. Is newer better: A comparison of web and paper-pencil survey administration modes. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the American Research Association, April 21-25, in Chicago, IL.

This version was published on October 1, 2009

Evaluation Review, Vol. 33, No. 5, 464-480 (2009)
DOI: 10.1177/0193841X09340214


CiteULike    Complore    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    Twitter    What's this?

This Article Abstract Free Full Text (Free PDF) Free Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Add to Saved Citations Download to citation manager Request Permissions Request Reprints Add to My Marked Citations Citing Articles Citing Articles via Scopus Google Scholar Articles by Greenlaw, C. Articles by Brown-Welty, S. PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Greenlaw, C. Articles by Brown-Welty, S. Social Bookmarking                         What's this?