Mode Differences Between Face-to-Face and Web Surveys: An Experimental Investigation of Data Quality and Social Desirability Effects

2009 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
pp. 111-121 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. Heerwegh
Keyword(s):  
Experimental Investigation ◽  
Data Quality ◽  
Social Desirability ◽  
Web Surveys ◽  
Face To Face

scholarly journals Comparing different types of web surveys

2013 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Henning Silber ◽  
Julia Lischewski ◽  
Jürgen Leibold
Keyword(s):  
Data Quality ◽  
Social Desirability ◽  
Drop Out ◽  
Web Surveys ◽  
Response Process ◽  
Student Sample ◽  
Response Behaviour ◽  
Different Types ◽  
Online Access ◽  
Do So

This paper aims to compare different types of web surveys in terms of response behaviour and data quality. To do so, the data of four online samples, two online access panels, a student sample, and a generated mail sample—randomly drawn from a systemically generated pool of email addresses—were contrasted. To investigate expected sample differences in drop-out rates, non-response, and data quality, closed and open-ended questions of varying levels of sensitiveness were employed. The main findings were that the two access panels lead to lower item non-response, but especially when sensitive questions were asked, data quality problems were revealed. Moreover, the access panelists showed a tendency to take short-cuts in the response process and to edit their answers in favour of social desirability.

scholarly journals Mode effects on socially desirable responding in web surveys compared to face-to-face and telephone surveys

2018 ◽  
Vol 15 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Nejc Berzelak ◽  
Vasja Vehovar
Keyword(s):  
Social Desirability ◽  
Web Surveys ◽  
Socially Desirable Responding ◽  
Telephone Surveys ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Mode Effects ◽  
Pilot Implementation ◽  
And Gender ◽  
Extreme Responses ◽  
Biased Reporting

This paper elaborates upon differences in socially desirable responding as being the result of mode effects between web, telephone, and face-to-face survey modes. Social desirability is one of the main threats to comparability of data between different modes. The paper conceptualises socially desirable responding as a specific type of mode effect, which is not only a result of inherent characteristics of a survey mode, but is also mediated and moderated by complex interdependencies of specific survey implementations, contextual factors, and characteristics and behaviours of respondents. While web surveys are generally less prone to socially desirable responding, it is essential to be wary of circumstances that may reduce the perceived privacy of the survey situation and lead to biased reporting. The presented empirical study analyses the answers to a large number of items used in a pilot implementation of the Generations and Gender Survey across the three modes to gain insights into the incidence of socially desirable responding and its role in the observed differences in estimates. The comparison of means, distributions, and proportions of extreme responses to scale questions is performed across 89 survey items. The results are in line with the previous findings on lower susceptibility of web surveys to social desirability bias. More importantly, the findings suggest that the problem of socially desirable responding is likely to be a major contributor to the differences in mean estimates, response distributions, and the level of extreme responding between the studied modes.

scholarly journals Utilizing asynchronous email interviews for health research: overview of benefits and drawbacks

2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Michelle Amri ◽  
Christina Angelakis ◽  
Dilani Logan
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Data Collection ◽  
Data Quality ◽  
Health Research ◽  
Geographic Location ◽  
Public Health Research ◽  
Data Accuracy ◽  
Global Public Health ◽  
Snowball Sampling ◽  
Face To Face

Abstract Objective Through collating observations from various studies and complementing these findings with one author’s study, a detailed overview of the benefits and drawbacks of asynchronous email interviewing is provided. Through this overview, it is evident there is great potential for asynchronous email interviews in the broad field of health, particularly for studies drawing on expertise from participants in academia or professional settings, those across varied geographical settings (i.e. potential for global public health research), and/or in circumstances when face-to-face interactions are not possible (e.g. COVID-19). Results Benefits of asynchronous email interviewing and additional considerations for researchers are discussed around: (i) access transcending geographic location and during restricted face-to-face communications; (ii) feasibility and cost; (iii) sampling and inclusion of diverse participants; (iv) facilitating snowball sampling and increased transparency; (v) data collection with working professionals; (vi) anonymity; (vii) verification of participants; (viii) data quality and enhanced data accuracy; and (ix) overcoming language barriers. Similarly, potential drawbacks of asynchronous email interviews are also discussed with suggested remedies, which centre around: (i) time; (ii) participant verification and confidentiality; (iii) technology and sampling concerns; (iv) data quality and availability; and (v) need for enhanced clarity and precision.

scholarly journals Conducting Population Health Research during the COVID-19 Pandemic: Impacts and Recommendations

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (6) ◽  
pp. 3320
Author(s):  
Amy R. Villarosa ◽  
Lucie M. Ramjan ◽  
Della Maneze ◽  
Ajesh George
Keyword(s):  
Data Collection ◽  
Health Services ◽  
Data Quality ◽  
Population Health ◽  
Health Research ◽  
Alternative Methods ◽  
Residential Aged Care ◽  
Recruitment Methods ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
The Impact

The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in many changes, including restrictions on indoor gatherings and visitation to residential aged care facilities, hospitals and certain communities. Coupled with potential restrictions imposed by health services and academic institutions, these changes may significantly impact the conduct of population health research. However, the continuance of population health research is beneficial for the provision of health services and sometimes imperative. This paper discusses the impact of COVID-19 restrictions on the conduct of population health research. This discussion unveils important ethical considerations, as well as potential impacts on recruitment methods, face-to-face data collection, data quality and validity. In addition, this paper explores potential recruitment and data collection methods that could replace face-to-face methods. The discussion is accompanied by reflections on the challenges experienced by the authors in their own research at an oral health service during the COVID-19 pandemic and alternative methods that were utilised in place of face-to-face methods. This paper concludes that, although COVID-19 presents challenges to the conduct of population health research, there is a range of alternative methods to face-to-face recruitment and data collection. These alternative methods should be considered in light of project aims to ensure data quality is not compromised.

scholarly journals Improving Data Quality with Sociodemographic Matching?: About the Effects and Implications of Age and Gender Matching in Face-to-Face Interviews

2021 ◽  
pp. 193672442199825
Author(s):  
Felix Bittmann
Keyword(s):  
Data Quality ◽  
European Social Survey ◽  
Item Nonresponse ◽  
Age And Gender ◽  
Social Survey ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Dependent Variables ◽  
And Gender ◽  
High Degree ◽  
Gender Matching

According to the theory of liking, data quality might be improved in face-to-face survey settings when there is a high degree of similarity between respondents and interviewers, for example, with regard to gender or age. Using two rounds of European Social Survey data from 25 countries including more than 70,000 respondents, this concept is tested for the dependent variables amount of item nonresponse, reluctance to answer, and the probability that a third adult person is interfering with the interview. The match between respondents and interviewers is operationalized using the variables age and gender and their statistical interactions to analyze how this relates to the outcomes. While previous studies can be corroborated, overall effect sizes are small. In general, item nonresponse is lower when a male interviewer is conducting the interview. For reluctance, there are no matching effects at all. Regarding the presence of other adults, only female respondents profit from a gender match, while age is without any effect. The results indicate that future surveys should weigh the costs and benefits of sociodemographic matching as advantages are probably small.

scholarly journals Second Life as a research environment: avatar-based focus groups (AFG)

2016 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
pp. 101-114 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eman Gadalla ◽  
Ibrahim Abosag ◽  
Kathy Keeling
Keyword(s):  
Focus Groups ◽  
Data Quality ◽  
Virtual Worlds ◽  
Second Life ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Marketing Research ◽  
Two Phase ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Advantages And Disadvantages

Purpose – This study aims to examine the nature and the potential use of avatar-based focus groups (AFGs) (i.e. focus groups conducted in three-dimensional [3D] virtual worlds [VWs]) as compared to face-to-face and online focus groups (OFGs), motivated by the ability of VWs to stimulate the realism of physical places. Over the past decade, there has been a rapid increase in using 3D VWs as a research tool. Design/methodology/approach – Using a two-phase reflective approach, data were collected first by using traditional face-to-face focus groups, followed by AFGs. In Phase 2, an online, semi-structured survey provided comparison data and experiences in AFGs, two-dimensional OFGs and traditional face-to-face focus groups. Findings – The findings identify the advantages and disadvantages of AFGs for marketing research. There is no evident difference in data quality between the results of AFGs and face-to-face focus groups. AFG compensates for some of the serious limitations associated with OFGs. Practical implications – The paper reflects on three issues, data quality, conduct of AFGs (including the moderator reflection) and participant experience, that together inform one’s understanding of the characteristics, advantages and limitations of AFG. Originality/value – This is the first paper to compare between AFGs, traditional face-to-face focus groups and OFGs. AFG holds many advantages over OFGs and even, sometimes, over face-to-face focus groups, providing a suitable environment for researchers to collect data.

scholarly journals Collecting the Data

2020 ◽  
pp. 51-59
Author(s):  
Petr Mariel ◽  
David Hoyos ◽  
Jürgen Meyerhoff ◽  
Mikolaj Czajkowski ◽  
Thijs Dekker ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Data Collection ◽  
Sample Size ◽  
Discrete Choice Experiment ◽  
Discrete Choice ◽  
Planning Process ◽  
Choice Experiments ◽  
Discrete Choice Experiments ◽  
Web Surveys ◽  
Survey Mode ◽  
Face To Face

AbstractThis chapter discusses aspects related to data collection. It focuses, firstly, on sampling issues and, secondly, on the survey mode. Sampling issues include sample size and the type of sampling that enable precise estimates to be obtained. Regarding the survey mode, discrete choice experiments can be implemented by mail, telephone, face-to-face or web surveys. Each of these survey modes has its advantages and shortcomings. They are described and compared in the course of this chapter, addressing an important decision in the planning process of a discrete choice experiment.

Do Interviewer Assessments of Respondents’ Performance Accurately Reflect Response Behavior?

Field Methods ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 32 (2) ◽  
pp. 193-212 ◽  
Author(s):  
Laura Jacobs ◽  
Geert Loosveldt ◽  
Koen Beullens
Keyword(s):  
Data Quality ◽  
European Social Survey ◽  
Response Styles ◽  
Actual Behavior ◽  
Item Nonresponse ◽  
Response Behavior ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Using Data ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Interviewer Observations

A growing body of literature points to the possibilities offered by postsurvey interviewer observations as a source of paradata to obtain insights into data quality. However, their utility in predicting actual behavior of respondents has attracted limited scholarly attention so far. Using data from Round 7 of the European Social Survey, we aim to clarify the relationship between interviewer observations and response styles (straightlining, item nonresponse, use of middle and extreme categories). We contribute to previous research by empirically verifying whether interviewer observations in face-to-face interviews can be effectively used as accurate predictors of data quality. Findings suggest that interviewers’ assessments of response behavior to some extent reflect response styles and can potentially be a valuable tool for the evaluation and improvement of survey data quality, although this seems mainly restricted to the most overt (i.e., easily observable) response styles.

scholarly journals Slider Bars in Multi-Device Web Surveys

2019 ◽  
pp. 089443931987913
Author(s):  
Angelica M. Maineri ◽  
Ivano Bison ◽  
Ruud Luijkx
Keyword(s):  
Data Collection ◽  
Data Quality ◽  
Initial Position ◽  
Web Survey ◽  
Web Surveys ◽  
Web Based ◽  
Using Data ◽  
The University

This study explores some features of slider bars in the context of a multi-device web survey. Using data collected among the students of the University of Trento in 2015 and 2016 by means of two web surveys ( N = 6,343 and 4,124) including two experiments, we investigated the effect of the initial position of the handle and the presence of numeric labels on answers provided using slider bars. It emerged that the initial position of the handle affected answers and that the number of rounded scores increased with numeric feedback. Smartphone respondents appeared more sensitive to the initial position of the handle but also less affected by the presence of numeric labels resulting in a lower tendency to rounding. Yet, outcomes on anchoring were inconclusive. Overall, no relevant differences have been detected between tablet and PC respondents. Understanding to what extent interactive and engaging tools such as slider bars can be successfully employed in multi-device surveys without affecting data quality is a key challenge for those who want to exploit the potential of web-based and multi-device data collection without undermining the quality of measurement.

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