Sampling Methods for Web and E-mail Surveys <s> Mixed-mode surveys using internet-based and traditional media <s> E-mail and World Wide Web surveys have been the subject of much hyperbole about their capabilities as well as some criticism of their limitations. In this report, the authors examine what is known and not known about the use of the Internet for surveying. Specifically, they consider evidence in the literature regarding response rates, timeliness, data quality, and cost. Using this evidence, the authors evaluate popular claims that Internet-based surveys can be conducted more quickly, effectively, cheaply, and/or easily than surveys conducted via conventional modes. They find that the realities of cost and speed often do not live up to the hype. Nonetheless, it is possible to implement Internet-based surveys in ways that are effective and cost-efficient. The authors conclude that the Internet will continue to grow in importance for conducting certain types of research surveys <s> BIB001 </s> Sampling Methods for Web and E-mail Surveys <s> Mixed-mode surveys using internet-based and traditional media <s> Abstract : Low-cost personal computers and the explosive growth of the Internet over the past decade have introduced new methods of conducting research surveys. It is now possible to conduct an entire survey solely through the World Wide Web or by e-mrnl. But, just as issues were raised about phone and mail surveys when they were first introduced, many researchers and practitioners are trying to determine the best way to conduct Internet surveys and questioning just how scientifically valid Internet-based surveys are. This book provides practical information for researchers who are contemplating using the Internet in their survey activities. The authors examine the reported strengths and limitations of using the Internet to conduct research surveys and offer guidelines on survey design and implementation. This book should be of interest to social science and public policy researchers, although it is certainly applicable to any form of survey research, including that conducted within the Department of Defense and throughout the armed forces. It should also prove useful to principal investigators, survey coordinators, and survey programmers. <s> BIB002
For some surveys it may be fiscally and operationally possible to contact respondents by some mode other than e-mail, such as mail or telephone. In these cases the survey target population can be broader than that for which an e-mail sampling frame is available, up to and including the general population. But at present such a survey must also use multiple survey modes to allow respondents without Internet access the ability to participate. Mixed-mode surveys may also be useful for alleviating selection bias for populations with uneven or unequal Internet access, and the sequential use of survey modes can increase response rates. For example,  456) describes a study in which surveys that were fielded using one mode were then followed up with an alternate mode three weeks later. As shown in Table 11 .3, in all cases the response rate increased after the follow-up. Now, of course, some of this increase can be attributed simply to the fact that a follow-up effort was conducted. However, the magnitude of the increases also suggests that offering a different response mode in the follow-up could be beneficial. However, mixed-mode surveys are subject to other issues. Two of the most important are mode effects and respondent mode preferences. Mode effects arise when the type of survey affects how respondents answer questions. Comparisons between Internet-based surveys and traditional surveys have found conflicting results, with some researchers reporting mode effects and others not. See, for example, the discussion and results in Schonlau et al. (2004: 130) . Though not strictly a sampling issue, the point is that researchers should be prepared for the existence of mode effects in a mixed-mode survey. Vehovar and Manfreda's overview chapter (this volume) explores in greater detail the issues of combining data from Internetbased and traditional surveys. In addition, when Internet-based surveys are part of a mixed-mode approach, it is important to be aware that the literature currently seems to show that respondents will tend to favour the traditional survey mode over an Internet-based mode. See, for example, the discussions in BIB002 and Couper (2000: 486-487) . BIB001 , in a study of the literature on web-based surveys, found 'that for most of the studies respondents currently tend to choose mail when given a choice between web and mail. In fact, even when respondents are contacted electronically it is not axiomatic that they will prefer to respond electronically'. The tendency to favour non-Internet-based survey modes lead Schonlau et al. (2002: 75) to recommend for mixed-mode mail and web surveys that: … the most effective use of the Web at the moment seems to involve a sequential fielding scheme in which respondents are first encouraged to complete the survey via the Web and then nonrespondents are subsequently sent a paper survey in the mail. This approach has the advantage of maximizing the potential for cost savings from 