scholarly journals Timing the Mode Switch in a Sequential Mixed-Mode Survey

2016 ◽  
Vol 35 (2) ◽  
pp. 262-276 ◽  
Author(s):  
James Wagner ◽  
Heather M. Schroeder ◽  
Andrew Piskorowski ◽  
Robert J. Ursano ◽  
Murray B. Stein ◽  
...  

Mixed-mode surveys need to determine a number of design parameters that may have a strong influence on costs and errors. In a sequential mixed-mode design with web followed by telephone, one of these decisions is when to switch modes. The web mode is relatively inexpensive but produces lower response rates. The telephone mode complements the web mode in that it is relatively expensive but produces higher response rates. Among the potential negative consequences, delaying the switch from web to telephone may lead to lower response rates if the effectiveness of the prenotification contact materials is reduced by longer time lags, or if the additional e-mail reminders to complete the web survey annoy the sampled person. On the positive side, delaying the switch may decrease the costs of the survey. We evaluate these costs and errors by experimentally testing four different timings (1, 2, 3, or 4 weeks) for the mode switch in a web–telephone survey. This experiment was conducted on the fourth wave of a longitudinal study of the mental health of soldiers in the U.S. Army. We find that the different timings of the switch in the range of 1–4 weeks do not produce differences in final response rates or key estimates but longer delays before switching do lead to lower costs.

Author(s):  
Megan E Patrick ◽  
Mick P Couper ◽  
Bohyun Joy Jang ◽  
Virginia Laetz ◽  
John E Schulenberg ◽  
...  

Abstract Given the promise of the web push plus e-mail survey design for providing cost-effective and high-quality data (Patrick et al. 2018, 2019) as an alternative to a paper-and-pencil mailed survey design for the longitudinal Monitoring the Future (MTF) study, the current study sought to further enhance the web push condition. The MTF sample is based on US nationally representative samples of 12th grade students surveyed annually. The MTF control group for the current study included participants who completed the in-school baseline survey in the 12th grade and were selected to participate in their first follow-up survey in 2017 via mailed surveys (N = 1,222). A supplementary sample (N = ∼2,450) was assigned to one of the two sequential mixed-mode conditions. Those in condition 1 (N = 1,198), or mail push, were invited to complete mailed surveys and later given a web survey option. Those in condition 2 (N = 1,173), or enhanced web push, were invited to complete a web survey (the same as in the 2014 study, but with the addition of text messages and quick response (QR) codes and the web survey was optimized for mobile devices) and then later given a mailed survey option. Research aims were to examine response rates across conditions, as well as how responses were distributed across mode (paper, web), devices (computer, smartphone, table), and method of accessing the web survey (hand-entered URL, QR code, e-mail link, SMS link). Response rates differed significantly: the MTF control group was 34.2 percent, mail push was 35.4 percent, and enhanced web push was 42.05 percent. The higher response rate in the enhanced web push condition suggests that the additional strategies were effective at bringing in more respondents. Key estimates produced by the enhanced web push condition did not differ from those of the MTF control group.


2015 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Nejc Berzelak ◽  
Vasja Vehovar ◽  
Katja Lozar Manfreda

Lower data collection costs make web surveys a promising alternative to conventional face-to-face and telephone surveys. A transition to the new mode has already been widely initiated in commercial research, but web surveys remains limited in academic and official research projects that typically require probability samples and high response rates. Various design approaches for coping with the problems of sampling frames, incomplete Internet use, and nonresponse in web surveys have been proposed. Mixed-mode designs and incentives are two common strategies to reach Internet non-users and increase the response rates in web surveys. However, such survey designs can substantially increase the costs, the complexity of administration and the possibility of uncontrolled measurement effects. This paper presents and demonstrates an approach to the evaluation of various survey designs with simultaneous consideration of the errors and costs. It focuses on the designs involving the web mode and discusses their potential to replace traditional modes for probability surveys of the general population. The main idea of this approach is that part of the cost savings enabled by the web mode can be allocated to incentives and complementary survey modes to compensate for the Internet non-coverage and the higher nonresponse. The described approach is demonstrated in an experimental case study that compares the performance of mixed-mode designs with the web mode and prepaid cash incentive with that of an official survey conducted using the face-to-face and telephone modes. The results show that the mixed-mode designs with the web mode and incentives can greatly increase the response rate, which even surpasses that of the conventional survey modes, but still offer substantial cost savings. However, the results also show that higher response rate does not necessary translate to higher data quality, especially when the main aim is to obtain estimates that are highly comparable with those of the reference survey.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ryan Trevor Titus Rego ◽  
Samuel Watson ◽  
Philbert Ishengoma ◽  
Philemon Langat ◽  
Hezekiah Pireh Otieno ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Text messaging systems are used to collect data on symptom prevalence. Using a text messaging system, we evaluated the effects of question load, question frequency, and financial incentive on response rates and reported infant diarrhoea rates in an infant diarrhoea survey. Methods We performed a factorial cross-over randomised controlled trial of an SMS surveying system for infant diarrhoea surveillance with treatments: financial incentive (yes/no), question load (1-question/3-question), and questioning frequency (daily/fortnightly). Participants progressed through all treatment combinations over eight two-week rounds. Data were analysed using multivariable logistic regressions to determine the impacts of the treatments on the response rates and reported diarrhoea rates. Attitudes were explored through qualitative interviews. Results For the 141 participants, the mean response rate was 47%. In terms of percentage point differences (ppd), daily questioning was associated with a lower response rate than fortnightly (-1·2[95%CI:-4·9,2·5]); high (3-question) question loads were associated with a lower response rate than low (1-question) question loads (-7·0[95%CI:-10·8,-3·1]); and financial incentivisation was associated with a higher response rate than no financial incentivisation (6·4[95%CI:2·6,10·2]). The mean two-week diarrhoea rate was 36·4%. Daily questioning was associated with a higher reported diarrhoea rate than fortnightly (29·9[95%CI:22·8,36·9]); with little evidence for impact by incentivisation or question load. Conclusions Close to half of all participants responded to the SMS survey. Daily questioning evoked a statistically higher rate of reported diarrhoea, while financial incentivisation and low (1-question) question loads evoked higher response rates than no incentive and high (3-question) question loads respectively. Trial Registration The protocol was registered on ISRCTN on the 20 th of March 2019 under number ISRCTN11410773 .


Author(s):  
Cristine D. Delnevo ◽  
Binu Singh

Abstract Background: Achieving a high response rate for physicians has been challenging and with response rates declining in recent years, innovative methods are needed to increase rates. An emerging concept in survey methodology has been web-push survey delivery. In this delivery method, contact is made by mail to request a response by web. This study explored the feasibility of a web-push survey on a national sample of physicians. Methods: 1000 physicians across six specialties were randomly assigned to a mail only or web-push survey delivery. Each mode consisted of four contacts including an initial mailing, reminder postcard, and two additional follow-ups. Response rates were calculated using AAPOR’s response rate 3 calculation. Data collection occurred between Febuary – April 2018 and analyzed March 2019. Results: Overall reponse rates for the mail only vs. web-push survey delivery were comparable (51.2% vs. 52.8%). Higher response rates across all demographics were seen in the web-push delivery with the exception of pulmonary/critical care and physicians over the age of 65. The web-push survey yielded a greater response after the first mailing requiring fewer follow-up contacts resulting in a more cost-effective delivery. Conclusions: A web-push mail survey is effective in achieveing a comparable response rate to traditional mail only delivery for physicians. The web-push survey was more efficient in terms of cost and in receiving responses in a more timely manner. Future research should explore the efficiency of a web-push survey delivery across various health care provider populations.


2019 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Päivi Heikkilä ◽  
Elina Mattila ◽  
Mari Ainasoja

Abstract Background Digital services have been found promising in managing different aspects of health, also stress. We developed a web service for cultivating the positive side of stress based on the stress experiences of entrepreneurs. In this paper, we present a field study conducted to evaluate the user acceptance and the user experience of the developed service. Methods Twenty-two participants, working as entrepreneurs or having an entrepreneurial-type job description, used the web service for 6 weeks. User experiences were collected from all participants with electronic questionnaires, and 10 participants were interviewed to gain deeper understanding and to formulate design implications. In addition, usage logs of the web service were analysed to assess how actively the participants used the service and a pre and post questionnaires on stress and work engagement were conducted to evaluate the preliminary effectiveness of the service. Results The usage activity of the service was relatively low, on average, the service was used on 3 days and a total of 101 min. During the usage period, the participants’ negative stress measured by the perceived stress scale decreased and their self-reported positive stress experiences had increased. The participants considered the positive perspective to stress useful. In the Eustress Toolbox service, the users appreciated especially the off-line and reflection exercises, as well as the quotations from peers, but the design should have supported more active triggering to use the service. Conclusions Based on user experience, we propose four design implications: Integrate the service into the daily hassle of entrepreneurs, Provide personal guidance while maintaining a possibility to explore, Recognise the user’s progress and accomplishments in a meaningful way and Support implicit learning from peer entrepreneurs. Trial registration ISRCTN14739582, Sept 3 2019, retrospectively registered.


Author(s):  
Kristen Olson ◽  
Jolene D Smyth ◽  
Rachel Horwitz ◽  
Scott Keeter ◽  
Virginia Lesser ◽  
...  

Abstract Telephone surveys have been a ubiquitous method of collecting survey data, but the environment for telephone surveys is changing. Many surveys are transitioning from telephone to self-administration or combinations of modes for both recruitment and survey administration. Survey organizations are conducting these transitions from telephone to mixed modes with only limited guidance from existing empirical literature and best practices. This article summarizes findings by an AAPOR Task Force on how these transitions have occurred for surveys and research organizations in general. We find that transitions from a telephone to a self-administered or mixed-mode survey are motivated by a desire to control costs, to maintain or improve data quality, or both. The most common mode to recruit respondents when transitioning is mail, but recent mixed-mode studies use only web or mail and web together as survey administration modes. Although early studies found that telephone response rates met or exceeded response rates to the self-administered or mixed modes, after about 2013, response rates to the self-administered or mixed modes tended to exceed those for the telephone mode, largely because of a decline in the telephone mode response rates. Transitioning offers opportunities related to improved frame coverage and geographic targeting, delivery of incentives, visual design of an instrument, and cost savings, but challenges exist related to selecting a respondent within a household, length of a questionnaire, differences across modes in use of computerization to facilitate skip patterns and other questionnaire design features, and lack of an interviewer for respondent motivation and clarification. Other challenges related to surveying youth, conducting surveys in multiple languages, collecting nonsurvey data such as biomeasures or consent to link to administrative data, and estimation with multiple modes are also prominent.


Author(s):  
Joel M. Haynes ◽  
Gavin J. Hendricks ◽  
Alan H. Epstein

A three-stage, low speed axial research compressor has been actively stabilized by damping low amplitude circumferentially travelling waves which can grow into rotating stall. Using a circumferential array of hot wire sensors, and an array of high speed individually positioned control vanes as the actuator, the first and second spatial harmonics of the compressor were stabilized down to a characteristic slope of 0.9, yielding an 8% increase in operating flow range. Stabilization of the third spatial harmonic did not alter the stalling flow coefficient. The actuators were also used open loop to determine the forced response behavior of the compressor. A system identification procedure applied to the forced response data then yielded the compressor transfer function. The Moore-Greitzer, 2-D, stability model was modified as suggested by the measurements to include the effect of blade row time lags on the compressor dynamics. This modified Moore-Greitzer model was then used to predict both the open and closed loop dynamic response of the compressor. The model predictions agreed closely with the experimental results. In particular, the model predicted both the mass flow at stall without control and the design parameters needed by, and the range extension realized from, active control.


Field Methods ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 29 (3) ◽  
pp. 221-237 ◽  
Author(s):  
Katherine A. McGonagle ◽  
Vicki A. Freedman

This article describes the results of an experiment designed to examine the impact of the use and amount of delayed unconditional incentives in a mixed mode (push to web) supplement on response rates, response mode, data quality, and sample bias. The supplement was administered to individuals who participate in the U.S. Panel Study of Income Dynamics, the longest running national household panel in the world. After 10 weeks of data collection, individuals who had not yet completed the interview were sent a final survey request and randomly assigned to one of three treatment conditions: no incentive, US$5, and US$10. The impact of the incentives on response rates and mode, effects on data quality, and sample bias are described. The implications for the use of incentives in mixed mode surveys and directions for future research are discussed.


Author(s):  
Devyn Manderscheid ◽  
Alex Diakow ◽  
Shania Wallin

We are taught from childhood that lies have negative consequences, but Shakespeare has them often result in happy endings. We want to know why, in Shakespearean comedy, lying can be good. In reading Twelfth Night, we wanted to understand why leading characters tell lies, and why those lies so often end favourably. What is Shakespeare really saying by having lies not necessarily be a bad thing? To achieve our goal, we employed primary textual analysis, a review of published critical analyses, and heuristic reasoning. We continue to be interested in what motivates a leading character in a comedy to want to lie, and what are the consequences for her doing so. 


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