In the previous century, survey data were often collected from random samples from the population. Respondents were questioned in face-to-face, via telephone interviews, or by mail questionnaires. Nowadays, in many polls, people are invited to express their opinion through the Internet. Is this technological progress or a methodological hornets nest or both? In October of 2006, the Data Archiving and Networked Services (DANS) organied a symposium on this topic. DANS is the national organiation in the Netherlands for storing and providing permanent access to research data from the humanities and social sciences. It is responsible for existing data archives as well as developments of data infrastructure in new fields.

Provides new insights into the accuracy and value of online panels for completing surveys Over the last decade, there has been a major global shift in survey and market research towards data collection, using samples selected from online panels. Yet despite their widespread use, remarkably little is known about the quality of the resulting data. This edited volume is one of the first attempts to carefully examine the quality of the survey data being generated by online samples. It describes some of the best empirically-based research on what has become a very important yet controversial method of collecting data. Online Panel Research presents 19 chapters of previously unpublished work addressing a wide range of topics, including coverage bias, nonresponse, measurement error, adjustment techniques, the relationship between nonresponse and measurement error, impact of smartphone adoption on data collection, Internet rating panels, and operational issues. The datasets used to prepare the analyses reported in the chapters are available on the accompanying website: www.wiley.com/go/online_panel Covers controversial topics such as professional respondents, speeders, and respondent validation. Addresses cutting-edge topics such as the challenge of smartphone survey completion, software to manage online panels, and Internet and mobile ratings panels. Discusses and provides examples of comparison studies between online panels and other surveys or benchmarks. Describes adjustment techniques to improve sample representativeness. Addresses coverage, nonresponse, attrition, and the relationship between nonresponse and measurement error with examples using data from the United States and Europe. Addresses practical questions such as motivations for joining an online panel and best practices for managing communications with panelists. Presents a meta-analysis of determinants of response quantity. Features contributions from 50 international authors with a wide variety of backgrounds and expertise. This book will be an invaluable resource for opinion and market researchers, academic researchers relying on web-based data collection, governmental researchers, statisticians, psychologists, sociologists, and other research practitioners.

BEST PRACTICES TO CREATE AND IMPLEMENTHIGHLY EFFECTIVE WEB SURVEYS Exclusively combining design and sampling issues, Handbook of Web Surveys presents a theoretical yet practical approach to creating and conducting web surveys. From the history of web surveys to various modes of data collection to tips for detecting error, this book thoroughly introduces readers to the this cutting-edge technique and offers tips for creating successful web surveys. The authors provide a history of web surveys and go on to explore the advantages and disadvantages of this mode of data collection. Common challenges involving under-coverage, self-selection, and measurement errors are discussed as well as topics including: Sampling designs and estimation procedures Comparing web surveys to face-to-face, telephone, and mail surveys Errors in web surveys Mixed-mode surveys Weighting techniques including post-stratification, generalized regression estimation, and raking ratio estimation Use of propensity scores to correct bias Web panels Real-world examples illustrate the discussed concepts, methods, and techniques, with related data freely available on the book's Website. Handbook of Web Surveys is an essential reference for researchers in the fields of government, business, economics, and the social sciences who utilize technology to gather, analyze, and draw results from data. It is also a suitable supplement for survey methods courses at the upper-undergraduate and graduate levels.

Highlighting the progress made by researchers in using Web-based surveys for data collection, this timely volume summarizes the experiences of leading behavioral and social scientists from Europe and the US who collected data using the Internet. Some chapters present theory, methodology, design, and implementation, while others focus on best practice examples and/or issues such as data quality and understanding paradata. A number of contributors applied innovative Web-based research methods to the LISS panel of CentERdata collected from over 5,000 Dutch households. Their findings are presented in the book. Some of the data is available on the book website. The book addresses practical issues such as data quality, how to reach difficult target groups, how to design a survey to maximize response, and ethical issues that need to be considered. Innovative applications such as the use of biomarkers and eye-tracking techniques are also explored. Part 1 provides an overview of Internet survey research including its methodologies, strengths, challenges, and best practices. Innovative ways to minimize sources of error are provided along with a review of mixed-mode designs, how to design a scientifically sound longitudinal panel and avoid sampling problems, and address ethical requirements in Web surveys. Part 2 focuses on advanced applications including the impact of visual design on the interpretability of survey questions, the impact survey usability has on respondents’ answers, design features that increase interaction, and how Internet surveys can be effectively used to study sensitive issues. Part 3 addresses data quality, sample selection, measurement and non-response error, and new applications for collecting online data. The issue of underrepresentation of certain groups in Internet research and the measures most effective at reducing it are also addressed. The book concludes with a discussion of the importance of paradata and the Web data collection process in general, followed by chapters with innovative experiments using eye-tracking techniques and biomarker data. This practical book appeals to practitioners from market survey research institutes and researchers in disciplines such as psychology, education, sociology, political science, health studies, marketing, economics, and business who use the Internet for data collection, but is also an ideal supplement for graduate and/or upper level undergraduate courses on (Internet) research methods and/or data collection taught in these fields.

HANDBOOK OF WEB SURVEYS The updated, must-have guide for creating and implementing web surveys Revised and thoroughly updated, the second edition of Handbook of Web Surveys offers a practical and comprehensive guide for creating and conducting effective web surveys. The authors noted experts on the topic, include a review the Blaise system (which has been around for 30 years) and provide information on the most recent developments and techniques in the field. The book illustrates the steps needed to develop effective web surveys and explains how the survey process should be carried out. It also examines the aspects of sampling and presents a number of sampling designs. The book includes ideas for overcoming possible errors in measurement and nonresponse. The authors also compare the various methods of data collection (face-to-face, telephone, mail, and mobile surveys) and discuss their advantages and disadvantages. Critical information for designing questionnaires for mobile devices is also provided. Filled with real-world examples, Handbook of Web Surveys discuss the key concepts, methods, and techniques of effective web surveys. This important book: Contains the most recent sampling designs and estimation procedures Offers ideas for overcoming errors in web surveys Includes information on mixed mode surveys Explores the concept of response probabilities Reviews all aspects of web panels Written for researchers in government, business, economics, and social scientists, the second edition of Handbook of Web Surveys provides an introduction to web surveys and the various methods and techniques.

This state-of-the-art volume provides insight into the recent developments in survey research. It covers topics like: survey modes and response effects, bio indicators and paradata, interviewer and survey error, mixed-mode panels, sensitive questions, conducting web surveys and access panels, coping with non-response, and handling missing data. The authors are leading scientists in the field, and discuss the latest methods and challenges with respect to these topics. Each of the book’s eight parts starts with a brief chapter that provides an historical context along with an overview of today’s most critical survey methods. Chapters in the sections focus on research applications in practice and discuss results from field studies. As such, the book will help researchers design surveys according to today’s best practices. The book’s website www.survey-methodology.de provides additional information, statistical analyses, tables and figures. An indispensable reference for practicing researchers and methodologists or any professional who uses surveys in their work, this book also serves as a supplement for graduate or upper level-undergraduate courses on survey methods taught in psychology, sociology, education, economics, and business. Although the book focuses on European findings, all of the research is discussed with reference to the entire survey-methodology area, including the US. As such, the insights in this book will apply to surveys conducted around the world.

The theme of the meeting was “Statistical Methods for the Analysis of Large Data-Sets”. In recent years there has been increasing interest in this subject; in fact a huge quantity of information is often available but standard statistical techniques are usually not well suited to managing this kind of data. The conference serves as an important meeting point for European researchers working on this topic and a number of European statistical societies participated in the organization of the event. The book includes 45 papers from a selection of the 156 papers accepted for presentation and discussed at the conference on “Advanced Statistical Methods for the Analysis of Large Data-sets.”