Increasing Response Rate in Web-Based/Internet Surveys

Web-based surveys have become increasingly popular with researchers. Unfortunately, they are subject to the same response rate issues that plague traditional surveys. This entry briefly reviews some of the theories about why individuals elect or decline to participate in surveys. It then discusses methods that might be considered when a researcher is thinking about how to improve survey responses. The methods are divided into two categories: the first category includes methods adapted from traditional mail surveys such as using incentives, pre-notifications, survey invitations, and reminders. The second category includes methods specific to Web-based surveys, including Web-based survey design and confidentiality issues.

[1]  A. H. Church.  ESTIMATING THE EFFECT OF INCENTIVES ON MAIL SURVEY RESPONSE RATES: A META-ANALYSIS , 1993 .

[2]  Mick P. Couper,et al.  Web Survey Design Paging versus Scrolling , 2006 .

[3]  Martin Wetzels,et al.  Response Rate and Response Quality of Internet-Based Surveys: An Experimental Study , 2004 .

[4]  R. LaRose,et al.  Privacy Issues in Internet Surveys , 1999 .

[5]  Lars Kaczmirek,et al.  Prenotification in Web-Based Access Panel Surveys , 2008 .

[6]  Mick P. Couper,et al.  Designing Effective Web Surveys , 2008 .

[7]  Tracy L. Tuten,et al.  Effects of Immediate Versus Delayed Notification of Prize Draw Results on Response Behavior in Web Surveys , 2004 .

[8]  Anja S. Göritz,et al.  The impact of material incentives on response quantity, response quality, sample composition, survey outcome, and cost in online access panels , 2004 .

[9]  Don A. Dillman,et al.  Development of a Standard E-Mail Methodology: Results of an Experiment , 1998 .

[10]  P. Edwards,et al.  Meta-analysis of randomised trials of monetary incentives and response to mailed questionnaires , 2005, Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health.

[11]  M. Couper,et al.  Web Surveys , 2001 .

[12]  P. R. Kunz,et al.  Season's greetings: From my status to yours. , 1976 .

[13]  Stephen R. Porter,et al.  The Impact of Lottery Incentives on Student Survey Response Rates , 2003 .

[14]  E. Surface,et al.  Employee Surveys Administered Online , 2007 .

[15]  M. Traugott,et al.  Web survey design and administration. , 2001, Public opinion quarterly.

[16]  Robert D. Tortora,et al.  Principles for Constructing Web Surveys , 1998 .

[17]  E. Ziegel,et al.  Nonresponse In Household Interview Surveys , 1998 .

[18]  Catherine Mobley,et al.  Instrument Effects of Images in Web Surveys , 2004 .

[19]  Craig A. Mertler.  What...Another Survey??? Patterns of Response and Nonresponse from Teachers to Traditional and Web Surveys. , 2003 .

[20]  Daniel B. Horn,et al.  The Effects of Cash, Electronic, and Paper Gift Certificates as Respondent Incentives for a Web-Based Survey of Technologically Sophisticated Respondents , 2004 .

[21]  Adam N. Joinson,et al.  Personalization, authentication and self-disclosure in self-administered Internet surveys , 2004, Comput. Hum. Behav..

[22]  M. Crask,et al.  MAIL SURVEY RESPONSE RATE A META-ANALYSIS OF SELECTED TECHNIQUES FOR INDUCING RESPONSE , 1988 .

[23]  D. Heerwegh,et al.  Effects of Personal Salutations in E-mail Invitations to Participate in a Web Survey , 2005 .

[24]  M. Couper,et al.  Following Up Nonrespondents to an Online Weight Management Intervention: Randomized Trial Comparing Mail versus Telephone , 2007, Journal of medical Internet research.

[25]  Edith D. de Leeuw,et al.  The Influence of Advance Letters on Response in Telephone Surveys A Meta-Analysis , 2007 .

[26]  Michael D. Kaplowitz,et al.  A Comparison of Web and Mail Survey Response Rates , 2004 .

[27]  E. Peña,et al.  Language Ability Assessment of Spanish-English Bilinguals: Future Directions. , 2002 .

[28]  Robert M. Groves,et al.  Nonresponse in Household Interview Surveys: Groves/Nonresponse , 1998 .

[29]  J. M. James,et al.  LARGE MONETARY INCENTIVES AND THEIR EFFECT ON MAIL SURVEY RESPONSE RATES , 1992 .

[30]  J. Grisso,et al.  Employee Assistance Program Services for Intimate Partner Violence and Client Satisfaction With These Services , 2010, Journal of occupational and environmental medicine.

[31]  M. Elliott,et al.  Conducting Research Surveys Via E-Mail and The Web , 2001 .

[32]  Zheng Yan,et al.  Factors affecting response rates of the web survey: A systematic review , 2010, Comput. Hum. Behav..

[33]  Thomas Chesney.  The Effect of Communication Medium on Research Participation Decisions , 2006, J. Comput. Mediat. Commun..

[34]  R. Kent,et al.  Improving Email Response in a Permission Marketing Context , 2003 .

[35]  M. Banaji,et al.  Psychological. , 2015, The journals of gerontology. Series B, Psychological sciences and social sciences.

[36]  Nicolas Guéguen,et al.  Social Presence Reinforcement and Computer-Mediated Communication: The Effect of the Solicitor's Photography on Compliance to a Survey Request Made by E-Mail , 2002, Cyberpsychology Behav. Soc. Netw..

[37]  Adam N. Joinson,et al.  Personalized salutation, power of sender and response rates to Web-based surveys , 2007, Comput. Hum. Behav..

[38]  Ann P. Rafferty,et al.  The Cost-Effectiveness of Alternative Advance Mailings in a Telephone Survey , 2005 .

[39]  Russel L. Thompson,et al.  A Meta-Analysis of Response Rates in Web- or Internet-Based Surveys , 2000 .

[40]  Alex R. Trouteaud.  How You Ask Counts , 2004 .

[41]  D. Dillman.  Mail and internet surveys: The tailored design method, 2nd ed. , 2007 .