Comparing the Response Burden between Paper and Web Modes in Establishment Surveys

Previous research is inconclusive regarding the effects of paper and web surveys on response burdens. We conducted an establishment survey with random assignment to paper and web modes to examine this issue. We compare how the actual and perceived response burdens differ when respondents complete a survey in the paper mode, in the web mode and when they are allowed to choose between the two modes. Our results show that in the web mode, respondents have a lower estimated time to complete the questionnaire, while we do not find differences between paper and the web on the perceived response time and perceived burden. Even though the response burden in the web mode is lower, our study finds no evidence of an increased response burden when moving an establishment survey from paper to the web.

Response Burden and Data Quality in Business Surveys

Response burden has long been a concern for data producers. In this article, we investigate the relationship between some measures of actual and perceived burden and we provide empirical evidence of their association with data quality. We draw on two business surveys conducted by Banca d’Italia since 1970, which provide a very rich and unique source of information. We find evidence that the perceived burden is affected by actual burden but the latter is not the only driver. Our results also show a clear link between a respondent’s perceived effort and the probability of not answering some important questions (such as those relating to expectations of future investments and turnover) or of dropping out of the survey. On the contrary, we do not find significant effects on the quality of answers to quantitative questions such as business turnover and investments. Overall, these findings have implications for data producers that should target the perceived burden, besides the actual burden, to increase data quality.

Customizing CAT administration of the PROMIS Misuse of Prescription Pain Medication Item Bank for patients with chronic pain

Objective The 22-item PROMIS®-Rx Pain Medication Misuse item bank (Bank-22) imposes a high response burden. This study aimed to characterize the performance of the Bank-22 in a computer adaptive testing (CAT) setting based on varied stopping rules. Methods The 22 items were administered to 288 patients. We performed a CAT simulation using default stopping rules (CATPROMIS). In 5 other simulations, a “best health” response rule was added to decrease response burden. This rule stopped CAT administration when a participant selected “never” to a specified number of initial Bank-22 items (2-6 in this study, designated CATAlt2-Alt6). The Bank-22 and 7-item short form (SF-7) scores were compared to scores based on CATPROMIS, and the 5 CAT variations. Results Bank-22 scores correlated highly with the SF-7 and CATPROMIS, Alt5, Alt6 scores (rs=.87-.95) and moderately with CATAlt2- Alt4 scores (rs=.63-.74). In all CAT conditions, the greatest differences with Bank-22 scores were at the lower end of misuse T-scores. The smallest differences with Bank-22 and CATPROMIS scores were observed with CATAlt5 and CATAlt6. Compared to the SF-7, CATAlt5 and CATAlt6 reduced overall response burden by about 42%. Finally, the correlations between PROMIS-Rx Misuse and Anxiety T-scores remained relatively unchanged across the conditions (rs=.31-.43, ps < .001). Conclusions Applying a stopping rule based on number of initial “best health” responses reduced response burden for respondents with lower levels of misuse. The tradeoff was less measurement precision for those individuals, which could be an acceptable tradeoff when the chief concern is in discriminating higher levels of misuse.

The Effect of Question Positioning on Data Quality in Web Surveys

The quality of data in surveys is affected by response burden and questionnaire length. With an increasing number of questions, respondents can become bored, tired, and annoyed and may take shortcuts to reduce the effort needed to complete the survey. In this article, direct evidence is presented on how the position of items within a web questionnaire influences respondents’ focus of attention. In two experiments, part of an eye-tracking study and an online survey, respectively, a variety of indicators show that data quality is lower if the experimental question is positioned at the end rather than at the beginning of a questionnaire. Practical implications are discussed.

Is There More Than the Answer to the Question? Device Use and Completion Time as Indicators for Selectivity Bias and Response Convenience in Online Surveys

The main objective of the German Emigration and Remigration Panel Study (GERPS) is to establish a longitudinal data set that provides information on life trajectories of international migrants. However, a large amount of paradata were also collected in order to obtain meta-information on respondents’ survey participation. This auxiliary information can help to optimize data quality at all stages of the survey process. By continuing the existing discussion in the field of online surveys, this chapter pursues a twofold objective: it reflects device usage (mobile vs. computer) and elucidates determinants of device choice. In particular, it analyses whether selectivity effects due to respondent’s device choices bias the sample. Moreover, this chapter investigates differences in response time between devices to detect differences in response burden. The analysis of response burden differences by device is an important issue, since an increased device-specific response burden can be a predictor of actual and further panel dropouts. In both device-specific selectivity and survey burden, only slight differences were found between mobile and desktop devices. Using these data, the following paper addresses the need to analyse potential sources of survey error and provides evidence that GERPS data do not appear to contain noteworthy bias attributed to device usage.

Association of Herpesvirus Response Burden with Long-Term Mortality Differs Between Older Males and Females

BackgroundSex-specific immune responses may contribute to variable vulnerability for Covid-19 between females and males. We tested whether there is a long-term mortality difference between sexes for other microbes (viral and bacterial) response burden among older people.MethodsSeven-year follow-up study consisted of 382 home-dwelling people aged 75-90 years (65.2% females) with a history cardiovascular disease. At baseline, serum immunoglobulin G antibodies were assayed against herpesviruses (CMV, HSV-1 and HSV-2) and bacteria (Chlamydophila pneumoniae, Mycoplasma pneumonia, and Helicobacter pylori). Titers were summed up as herpes (HB) or bacterial response burden (BB) and divided into tertiles. Hazard ratios (HR) of total mortality with 95% CIs were calculated using Cox regression.ResultsThe overall HB was lower and BB higher among males than females (P<0.001). There was a significant sex/HB (P=0.01) and sex/BB (P=0.03) interaction with mortality. Multivariable-adjusted (age, body mass index, C-reactive protein, and comorbidity index) mortality HRs for increasing HB sex-specific tertiles were 1.0 (reference), 1.34 (95% CI 0.62-2.88), and 2.66 (1.25-5.64) for males and 1.0, 1.30 (0.76-2.21), and 1.30 (0.77-2.22) for females. The significant age-adjusted association between BB and mortality in males attenuated after multivariable adjustments, HR (top-vs-bottom tertile) 1.74 (0.93-3.25). In females, no association with BB was observed. Using HB and BB as continuous variables supported the findings with tertiles.ConclusionsAlthough being lower in older males than females, higher Herpesviridae response burden was associated with increased 7-year mortality risk among males, not among females. Immune responses to common microbes may contribute to sex differences in longevity and mortality.Key points-Gender differences in vulnerability during Covid-19 has increased interested in sex-related responses to infections-We used IgG titers of Herpesviridae and bacteria as surrogate markers for variably recurrent reactivation-Although Herpesviridae response burden was generally lower among males than females, within sexes higher Herpesviridae burden strongly predicted 7-year mortality among males but not females-Long-term virus burden, like Herpesviridae, may partly explain shorter longevity and higher mortality among males with weaker immune systems

Using Only Numeric Labels Instead of Verbal Labels: Stripping Rating Scales to Their Bare Minimum in Web Surveys

With the increasing use of smartphones in web surveys, considerable efforts have been devoted to reduce the amount of screen space taken up by questions. An emerging stream of research in this area is aimed at optimizing the design elements of rating scales. One suggestion that has been made is to completely abandon verbal labels and use only numeric labels instead. This approach deliberately shifts the task of scale interpretation to the respondents and reduces the information given to them with an intention to reduce their response burden while still preserving the scale meaning. Following prior research, and by drawing on the established model of the cognitive response process, we critically tested these assumptions. Based on a web survey experiment, we found that omitting verbal labels and using only numeric labels instead pushed respondents to focus their responses on the endpoints of a rating scale. Moreover, drawing on response time paradata, we showed that their response burden was not reduced when presented with only numeric labels; quite the opposite was the case, especially when respondents answered the scale with only numeric labels for the first time, which seemed to entail additional cognitive effort. Based on our findings, we advise against using only numeric labels for rating scales in web surveys.

Predicting response rates of all and recruited respondents: A first attempt

This paper reports on the link between a well-defined measure of response burden and response rates among all (uncommitted) and pre-recruited respondents. We show within the limits of our sample of 68 survey waves (including pre-tests; resulting from 35 studies) that the response burden impact is mediated by the level of the commitment of the respondents and the presence of a monetary incentive. This is the first time that a research group provides a response rate forecasting model for its own work and for others to adopt, test and adapt.

Agricultural Crop Forecasting for Large Geographical Areas

Crop forecasting is important to national and international trade and food security. Although sample surveys continue to have a role in many national crop forecasting programs, the increasing challenges of list frame undercoverage, declining response rates, increasing response burden, and increasing costs are leading government agencies to replace some or all of survey data with data from other sources. This article reviews the primary approaches currently being used to produce official statistics, including surveys, remote sensing, and the integration of these with meteorological, administrative, or other data. The research opportunities for improving current methods of forecasting crop yield and quantifying the uncertainty associated with the prediction are highlighted.