scholarly journals Using Mobile Phones for Survey Research: A Comparison with Fixed Phones

2009 ◽  
Vol 51 (5) ◽  
pp. 1-16 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paula Vicente ◽  
Elizabeth Reis ◽  
Maria Santos
Keyword(s):  
Mobile Phone ◽  
Survey Research ◽  
Mobile Phones ◽  
Response Rate ◽  
Cultural Practices ◽  
Demographic Characteristics ◽  
Telephone Surveys ◽  
Phone Survey ◽  
Lower Response Rate ◽  
Completion Times

The increase in mobile phone penetration is stimulating a trend towards the use of mobile phones to supplement or even replace traditional telephone surveys. Despite this trend, few studies have systematically compared differences between the two modes. This paper describes a study in which both mobile and fixed phones were used to collect data on a national survey on internet and cultural practices. Findings revealed significant differences between mobile phone respondents and fixed phone respondents in terms of demographic characteristics and responses to some of the substantive items of the survey. In terms of data quality the mobile phone survey proved to be different from the fixed phone survey in two indicators: completion times and percentage of respondents with item omissions. The mobile phone survey was more difficult to implement than the fixed phone survey since much more screening was required to identify working phone numbers; in addition it yielded a lower response rate than the fixed phone survey.

The Best Times to Call in a Mobile Phone Survey

2015 ◽  
Vol 57 (4) ◽  
pp. 555-570
Author(s):  
Paula Vicente
Keyword(s):  
Mobile Phone ◽  
Survey Data ◽  
Mobile Phones ◽  
Response Rates ◽  
Demographic Characteristics ◽  
Survey Response ◽  
High Response ◽  
Response Process ◽  
Phone Survey ◽  
Region Of Residence

Establishing contact with the sample units is an important part of the survey response process, and an efficient calling schedule is critical to achieve high response rates. The rapid increase in mobile phone ownership has triggered the interest of marketing researchers in the use of mobile phones for collecting survey data about consumers. Mobile phone surveys may favour establishing contact with sample units since the mobile phone is a personal device carried at all times, thus making the person permanently contactable. This paper aims to identify the best times to call in a mobile phone survey by investigating the influence of the day and time of the call on the likelihood of establishing contact and obtaining an interview. A three-level ranking of calling periods, based on call efficiency, is proposed. Outcomes also revealed that the level of efficiency of calling periods is not dissociated from respondents’ socio-demographic characteristics, namely in terms of age and region of residence.

scholarly journals Mobile phone surveys: The Slovenian case study

2021 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-19
Author(s):  
Vasja Vehovar ◽  
Eva Belak ◽  
Zenel Batagelj ◽  
Sanja Čikić
Keyword(s):  
Mobile Phone ◽  
Labour Force ◽  
Response Rates ◽  
General Context ◽  
Mobile Phone Use ◽  
Telephone Surveys ◽  
Phone Interview ◽  
Phone Survey ◽  
Coverage Problems

In 2004, the number of mobile phone subscriptions in Slovenia reached the total number of inhabitants. Consequently, the fixed telephone coverage has started to decline; almost 10% of households are now available only over the mobile phone. With this, Slovenia positions itself as a typical EU country and can serve as a case study for issues related to mobile phone interview surveys. The paper addresses the general context of mobile phone usage and the calculations of mobile phone coverage rates. It also discusses the non-coverage problems related to mobile and mobile-only households. It is shown, that even with a relatively small non-coverage the corresponding estimates can be considerably biased, as in the case of the unemployment rate in the Slovenian Labour Force Survey. There are severe methodological problems with mobile phone interview surveys. In particular, a pilot mobile phone survey confirmed the disadvantages of costs, frames and response rates, at least when compared to fixed telephone surveys. In addition, the response rates are dramatically lower for less intensive mobile phone users. The comparisons of respondents in mobile phone surveys with the corresponding sub-samples in Labour Force Surveys and in fixed telephone surveys revealed some specific discrepancies in the socio-demographic structure. Due to non-coverage, the respondents in the mobile phone survey tend to be younger, higher educated, from larger households and are represented by a larger share of males. The non-response mechanism can additionally reinforce these effects (e.g, gender), however it can also cancel them (e.g., age, household size). Special complexity arises from the diverse effects of the non-response components (refusal vs. non-contact). According to their attitudes towards mobile phone use, mobile phone users compose three distinct segments (intensive pragmatic and emotional users, less intensive users) that may behave differentially also during the mobile phone survey process.

The future of telephone surveys in Hong Kong

2017 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 2-19 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephen Wing-kai Chiu ◽  
Niantao Jiang
Keyword(s):  
Hong Kong ◽  
Cell Phone ◽  
Telephone Survey ◽  
Demographic Characteristics ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Telephone Surveys ◽  
Phone Survey ◽  
Two Samples ◽  
A Cell ◽  
Fixed Line

Purpose This paper aims to compare residential fixed-line telephone surveys with cell phone surveys for assessing the extent of the potential undercoverage issue evaluating the necessity and feasibility of conducting cell phone surveys or dual-frame telephone surveys in Hong Kong. Design/methodology/approach The research team simultaneously carried out a conventional fixed-line telephone survey and a cell phone survey in 2015 with similar features on survey design, sampling and data collection procedures. Two samples with sample size of 801 and 1,203 were achieved separately. Data collected were analysed to see to what extent survey findings will be biased if the sampling frame of telephone surveys is solely based on residential fixed-line numbers in Hong Kong, and if such a bias does exist, whether a survey conducted through cell phones or by adding a cell phone-only (CO) group would be an ideal solution for it. Findings The findings show that the cooperation rates for the cell phone survey were much lower than those of the fixed-line telephone survey. The respondents from two surveys were fairly different. However, estimates of most commonly used socio-demographic characteristics from the latter group had the least bias compared with population statistics. Supplanting the traditional fixed-line survey with a cell phone survey or supplementing it with a CO group will not make the resulting sample a better representative of the population but it will amplify the sample bias on the major social socio-demographic characteristics. Originality/value This paper empirically compares the two types of telephone surveys in a well-designed scientific study.

scholarly journals Including Hard-to-Access Populations Using Mobile Phone Surveys and Participatory Indicators

2017 ◽  
Vol 49 (1) ◽  
pp. 133-160 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pamina Firchow ◽  
Roger Mac Ginty
Keyword(s):  
Mobile Phone ◽  
Design Process ◽  
Mobile Phones ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Survey Design ◽  
Low Income Countries ◽  
Research Project ◽  
Ongoing Research ◽  
Methodological Rigor ◽  
Phone Survey

One of the main obstacles for survey researchers—especially those conducting surveys in difficult contexts such as postconflict areas—is accessing respondents. In order to address this problem, this article draws on an ongoing research project to reflect on the utility of mobile phones to connect with hard-to-access populations in conflict affected, low-income countries. It considers the strengths and weaknesses of a number of different mobile phone survey modes. The article goes a step further and discusses how (potential) survey respondents can be included in the survey design process thereby increasing the relevance of the research to them and hopefully encouraging them to participate. We conclude by considering the issue of “good enough” methodologies, or the need to balance methodological rigor with an understanding of the exigencies of suboptimal research contexts.

Correlating Personality and Actual Phone Usage

2014 ◽  
Vol 35 (3) ◽  
pp. 158-165 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christian Montag ◽  
Konrad Błaszkiewicz ◽  
Bernd Lachmann ◽  
Ionut Andone ◽  
Rayna Sariyska ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Big Data ◽  
Social Network ◽  
Mobile Phone ◽  
Mobile Phones ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Psychological Variables ◽  
New Approach ◽  
Report Data ◽  
Self Report Data ◽  
Voice Calls

In the present study we link self-report-data on personality to behavior recorded on the mobile phone. This new approach from Psychoinformatics collects data from humans in everyday life. It demonstrates the fruitful collaboration between psychology and computer science, combining Big Data with psychological variables. Given the large number of variables, which can be tracked on a smartphone, the present study focuses on the traditional features of mobile phones – namely incoming and outgoing calls and SMS. We observed N = 49 participants with respect to the telephone/SMS usage via our custom developed mobile phone app for 5 weeks. Extraversion was positively associated with nearly all related telephone call variables. In particular, Extraverts directly reach out to their social network via voice calls.

The Effect of Prestige Sensitivity on Price Acceptance in Vietnam’s Mobile Phone Market

2018 ◽  
pp. 97-112
Author(s):  
Huyen Thi Nguyen ◽  
Ngoc Minh Nguyen
Keyword(s):  
Mobile Phone ◽  
Mobile Phones ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Sampling Method ◽  
Product Knowledge ◽  
Mediating Role ◽  
Modelling Method ◽  
Equation Modelling ◽  
Convenience Sampling

The purpose of this study is to examine the effect of prestige sensitivity on mobile phone customer’s price acceptance in Vietnam and the mediating role of product knowledge and price mavenism on this relationship. We used the convenience sampling method for data collection via questionnaires with a sample of 605 consumers who purchased mobile phones. The collected data was analysed by applying a structural equation modelling method. The result indicates that prestige sensitivity has both direct and indirect effects on price acceptance via product knowledge and price mavenism. The findings suggest that prestige sensitivity can be used as a market segmentation criterion for mobile phones when making price decisions and providing customers with adequate information could improve price acceptance.

Comparing face-to-face to web data collection: unit response and costs in a national health survey (Preprint)

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elise Braekman ◽  
Stefaan Demarest ◽  
Rana Charafeddine ◽  
Sabine Drieskens ◽  
Finaba Berete ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Data Collection ◽  
Response Rate ◽  
Response Rates ◽  
Demographic Characteristics ◽  
Unit Response ◽  
Cost Advantage ◽  
Web Data ◽  
Demographic Groups ◽  
Considerable Cost ◽  
The Difference

BACKGROUND Potential is seen in web data collection for population health surveys due to a combination of its cost-effectiveness, implementation ease and the increased internet penetration. Nonetheless, web modes may lead to lower and more selective unit response rates than traditional modes and hence may increase bias in the measured indicators. OBJECTIVE This research assesses the unit response and costs of a web versus F2F study. METHODS Alongside the F2F Belgian Health Interview Survey of 2018 (BHIS2018; n gross sample used: 7,698), a web survey (BHISWEB; n gross sample=6,183) is organized. Socio-demographic data on invited individuals is obtained from the national register and census linkages. Unit response rates considering the different sampling probabilities of both surveys are calculated. Logistic regression analyses examine the association between mode system (web vs. F2F) and socio-demographic characteristics on unit non-response. The costs per completed web questionnaire are compared with these for a completed F2F questionnaire. RESULTS The unit response rate is lower in BHISWEB (18.0%) versus BHIS2018 (43.1%). A lower web response is found among all socio-demographic groups, however, the difference is higher among people older than 65, low educated people, people with a non-Belgian nationality, people living alone and these living in Brussels Capital. Not the same socio-demographic characteristics are associated with non-response in both studies. Having another European (OR (95% CI): 1.60 (1.20-2.13)) or a non-European nationality (OR (95% CI): 2.57 (1.79-3.70)) (compared to having the Belgian nationality) and living in the Brussels Capital (95% CI): 1.72 (1.41-2.10)) or Walloon (OR (95% CI): 1.47 (1.15 - 1.87) region (compared to living in the Flemish region) is only in BHISWEB associated with a higher non-response. In BHIS2018 younger people (OR (95% CI): 1.31 (1.11-1.54)) are more likely to be non-respondent than older people, this was not found BHISWEB. In both studies, lower educated people have a higher change to be non-respondent, but this effect is more pronounced in BHISWEB (OR low vs. high education level (95% CI): Web 2.71 (2.21-3.39)); F2F 1.70 (1.48-1.95)). The BHISWEB study has a considerable cost advantage; the total cost per completed questionnaire is almost three times lower (€41) compared to the F2F data collection (€111). CONCLUSIONS The F2F unit response rate is generally higher, yet for certain groups the difference between web versus F2F is more limited. A considerable cost advantage of web collection is found. It is therefore worthwhile to experiment with adaptive mixed-mode designs to optimize financial resources without increasing selection bias; e.g. only inviting socio-demographic groups more eager to participate online for web surveys while remaining to focus on increasing the F2F response rates for other groups. CLINICALTRIAL Studies approved by the Ethics Committee of the University hospital of Ghent

Women, Empowerment, and Mobile Phones in the Developing World

2020 ◽  
pp. 528-544
Author(s):  
Laura Stark
Keyword(s):  
Developing Countries ◽  
Mobile Phone ◽  
Social Status ◽  
Mobile Phones ◽  
Mobile Communication ◽  
Recent Literature ◽  
Mobile Telephony ◽  
Women Empowerment ◽  
Gender And Development ◽  
And Control

This chapter surveys and analyzes recent literature on mobile communication to examine its relationship to gender and development, more specifically how women in developing countries use and are impacted by mobile phones. Focusing on issues of power, agency, and social status, the chapter reviews how mobile telephony has been found to be implicated in patriarchal bargaining in different societies, how privacy and control are enabled through it, what benefits have been shown to accrue to women using mobile phones, and what barriers, limitations, and disadvantages of mobile use exist for women and why. The conclusion urges more gender-disaggregated analysis of mobile phone impact and use and offers policy and design recommendations based on the overview and discussion.

scholarly journals Misuse and addiction to mobile phone in a sample of first-grade secondary school students of Palermo

2020 ◽  
Vol 30 (Supplement_5) ◽  
Author(s):  
S Pizzo ◽  
C Costantino ◽  
D Giliberti ◽  
I Calò ◽  
C Vella ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Secondary School ◽  
Mobile Phone ◽  
Mobile Phones ◽  
Representative Sample ◽  
Secondary School Students ◽  
First Grade ◽  
Educational Interventions ◽  
School Students ◽  
Developed Country ◽  
Teenagers And Young Adults

Abstract Background Nowadays, smartphone overuse affects massively teenagers and young adults. From 2014 to 2018 in Italy, for the 11-17 years age group, there has been an increase from 79.9% to 85.8% of daily mobile phone users. This project aims to investigate usage prevalence and misuse/addiction of mobile phones in a representative sample of first-grade secondary school students of the Province of Palermo, Italy, carrying out educational interventions to promote a proper and conscious use of smartphone. Materials and Methods An anonymous, standardized and previously validated pre-intervention questionnaire consisting of 39 items on general socio-demographic characteristics, attitudes and habits regarding smartphone usage, was administered online to 10-15 years old students of the Palermo's Province. Moreover, two additional sets of 11 and 15 items contributed to calculate a Misuse and an Addiction Score, respectively. After administration, educational interventions aimed at promoting the correct and conscious use of the smartphone, were carried out. Results A total of 1600 students belonging to 16 schools, responded to the questionnaire. 93% of the sample had a personal smartphone and 84% had a personal profile on at least one social network. About 15% of the sample experienced cyber bullying episodes and 30% accessed to adult content online (38% of parents didn't set parental control on the devices). Overall, 78.3% of the sample showed a moderate to severe misuse and 38.3% a moderate to severe addiction to mobile phones. Conclusions The uncontrolled and unconscious use of smartphones among adolescents exposes to different health risks including psycho-social and cognitive-relational problems. Results obtained demonstrate high levels of misuse and addiction to mobile devices in a representative sample of students in a developed Country, suggesting the need to implement educational interventions and the development of guidelines to encourage a responsible use of smartphones. Key messages The present study highlights an uncontrolled and unconscious use of mobile phones among 11-15 years old aged students in Southern Italy. The implementation of educational intervention at school and the development of guidelines regulating smartphone usage among adolescents, should represent a future global health priority.

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