A Comparison of Web-Based and Paper-Based Survey Methods

Abstract

Web-based surveys have become more prevalent in areas such as evaluation, research, and marketing research to name a few. The proliferation of these online surveys raises the question, how do response rates compare with traditional surveys and at what cost? This research explored response rates and costs for Web-based surveys, paper surveys, and mixed-mode surveys. The participants included evaluators from the American Evaluation Association (AEA). Results included that mixed-mode, while more expensive, had higher response rates.

From paper to web: Mode equivalence of the ARHQ and NEO-FFI

“…The advantages of web surveys are well documented; they are less expensive than paper surveys, and increasingly cost-effective as sample size increases (Greenlaw & Brown-Welty, 2009). They provide a way to conduct survey studies when it is otherwise impractical or financially unfeasible to access certain study populations (Andrews, Nonnecke, & Preece, 2003;Ekman et al, 2006).…”

“…computer experience between socioeconomic and demographic groups (Rhodes, Bowie, & Hergenrather, 2003). To counter selection effects, multi-mode methods, allowing participants to choose between survey modes, have been used with good results (Greenlaw & Brown-Welty, 2009;Smith, Smith, Gray, & Ryan, 2007). Mode effects on the other hand are more difficult to counter with study design.…”

Comparison of Paper- and Web-Based Dietary Records: A Pilot Study

“…There are a few studies in which different paper-based questionnaires (e.g. food frequency, anthropometric and sociodemographic questionnaires) have been compared to web-based questionnaires by the same volunteers [26,27,28,29,30]. …”

Intimate Partner Violence: Implications for Counseling Self-Identified LGBTQ College Students Engaged in Same-Sex Relationships

“…Considering this low response rate, we recognize the limitation in generalizing the results. Research comparing web and mail-based surveying continues to produce inconsistent findings (Greenlaw & Brown-Welty, 2009;Shih & Fan, 2009;Converse, Wolfe, Huang, & Oswald, 2008); whereas web-based surveys produce lower response rates compared to mail surveys (Shih & Fan, 2009), one exception exists where a web-based survey returned a higher response rate compared with mail-based surveys (Greenlaw & Brown-Welty, 2009). Thus, the study still serves as a potential tool; however, results need to be interpreted with caution.…”