Evaluation of an online (opt-in) panel for public participation geographic information systems surveys

Online panels are increasingly being used in market, social, psychological, and medical research (Callegaro & DiSogra, 2008). With decline in survey response rate across all modes of delivery (Curtin, Presser, & Singer, 2005; de Leeuw & de Heer 2002; Hansen 2006), online panels may appear an attractive option for conducting public participation geographic information systems (PPGIS) surveys despite limitations compared with probability sampling methods including undercoverage of the target population, high nonresponse within the panel, and self-selection bias (see Baker et al., 2010). This research evaluates the use of an online, opt-in panel (Couper, 2000) for conducting PPGIS surveys as an alternative to random household sampling, on-site survey recruitment, or self-selected (river) sampling. We evaluate the use of the online panel against several criteria of survey data quality: participation rate, mapping effort, and usability of survey responses. We discuss the implications of the results for future PPGIS survey research.

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