This document discusses internet-based surveys and research methods. It covers: 1) Types of internet surveys including email and web-based surveys. 2) Advantages of internet questionnaires such as lower costs, faster distribution and data collection, and ability to reach larger populations. 3) Key issues in internet surveys including the importance of visual design, sampling bias, and technical problems with hardware, software, and network connections.

1. BRENAN DALE D. SENDICO
Master of Arts in Education – Administration & Supervision
CENTRAL MINDANAO UNIVERSITY
Research Methods in Education (Educ241)

3. INTERNET – BASED SURVEYS
1. EMAIL SURVEY
• An email survey is one that sends the survey instrument (e.g.
questionnaire) to a respondent via email and most often samples
respondents via email.
2. Web-Based Surveys
• Web surveys allow respondents to complete questionnaires that are
delivered to them and administered over the World Wide Web.
• Sends direct potentials participants to a link or web site at which the
survey questionnaire is located in HTML form.

4. INTERNET – BASED SURVEYS
•The most widely used data collection
instrument for Internet surveys is the
QUESTIONNAIRE.

5. INTERNET – BASED SURVEYS
The following are advantages in using an Internet questionnaire in
comparison to a paper questionnaire (e.g Watt 1997; Dillman et al.
1999; Dillman and Bowket 2000; Roztocki and Labri 2002)
1. It reduces cost
2. It reduces the time to take to distribute ,gather and
process data.
3. It enables a wider and much larger population to be
accessed.

6. 4. It enables researchers to reach difficult population
under the cover of anonymity and non-traceability
5. It may have novelty value
6. Respondents can complete the questionnaire from
home.
7. Respondents can complete it at a time to suit
themselves.
INTERNET – BASED SURVEYS

7. 8. Respondents can complete the survey over time.
9. Reduction of researcher effects.
10. Responses in web-based surveys show fewer missing
entries than paper-based surveys.
11. Human error is reduced in entering and processing
online data.
12. Additional features may make the survey attractive.
INTERNET – BASED SURVEYS

8. 13. Greater generalizability may be obtained as Internet
users come from a wide and diverse population.
14. Because of volunteer participation, greater
authentication of responses may be obtained
INTERNET – BASED SURVEYS

9. INTERNET – BASED SURVEYS
The importance of the visual aspect of questionnaire is
heightened in Internet surveys ( Smyth et al. 2004)
Smyth et al. (2004) reported that respondents use ‘pre-
attentive processing’ when approaching Internet surveys
which rests on Gestalt psychology that abides by the
principles of:
1.Proximity 2. Similarity 3. Prägnanz

10. KEY ISSUES IN INTERNET–BASED SURVEYS
Gestalt psychology
1. Proximity - grouping those items that are physically
close to each other
2. Similarity - grouping together those items that
appear alike
3. Prägnanz - figures or items with simplicity, regularly
and symmetry are more easily perceived and
remembered

11. INTERNET–BASED SURVEYS

12. PROBLEMS and SOLUTIONS
Sampling
•Some subsample
groups may be under-
represented in the
respondents
Solutions
•Adjust the results by
weighing the sample
responses.

13. PROBLEMS and SOLUTIONS
Ethics
•Respondents may
wish to keep their
identity from the
researcher , and an
email address
identifies the
respondent.
Solutions
•Direct respondents to
a web site rather than
to using email
correspondence.

14. PROBLEMS and SOLUTIONS
Technical Hardware &
Software
•questionnaire may
vary from one
machine to another
and can lead to
dropout.
Solutions
•Test the survey on
different computer
systems/browser to
ensure consistency.
Avoid survey that
require real time
completion.

15. PROBLEMS and SOLUTIONS
• Slow network connection or
limited bandwidth can slow
down loading.
• Respondents may not have the
same software or the same
version of the software as the
sender.
• Keep the use of graphics to
a minimum. Advise on the
possible time it takes to
load.
• Avoid the use of graphics
and more advanced
software programs.

16. PROBLEMS and SOLUTIONS
• The greater the use of graphics
and plug- ins the longer it
takes to download.
• There may be slow loading
times due to Internet
congestion
• Keep software
requirements as low-tech
as possible
• Avoid sophisticated
graphics and ‘’fancy’’
presentation.

17. PROBLEMS and SOLUTIONS
• Email questionnaires may
distort the layout of the
questionnaire
• Avoid sending a
questionnaire directly using
email rather post it on a
web site

18. PROBLEMS and SOLUTIONS
• Respondents may be
unfamiliar or inexperienced
with the internet and the
media
• There may be more than one
respondent to a single
questionnaire
• Keep the questionnaire
simple and easy to
complete.
• Include questions to
crosscheck the consistency
of replies to similar items.
RESPONDENTS SOLUTIONS

19. PROBLEMS and SOLUTIONS
• Respondents may be
bombarded with too much
information in an introductory
messages
• Respondents may not
understand instruction
• Separate the questionnaire
from the advertisement for
or introduction to the
questionnaire.
• Provide helpline
LAYOUT & PRESENTATION SOLUTIONS

20. PROBLEMS and SOLUTIONS
• Respondents may alter the
instrument itself.
• Respondents may be forced to
answer every question even
when they consider some
response categories
inappropriate.
• Include technological
safeguard to prevent
alteration and have
procedures to identify
altered instruments.
• Include options such as
‘don’t know’ and ‘do not
wish to answer’
RELIABILITY SOLUTIONS

21. PROBLEMS and SOLUTIONS
• Respondents may lose interest
after a while and abandon the
survey, thereby losing all the
survey data.
• Respondents may not know
how long the questionnaire is,
and may lose interest
• Have a device that requires
respondents to send their
replies screen by screen.
• Include a device for
indicating how far through
the questionnaire the
respondent has reached
DROPOUT SOLUTIONS

22. PROBLEMS and SOLUTIONS
• It is easier for someone to quit
an internet – based survey
than a paper- based survey.
• Non participation may be high
• Error messages cause
frustration and may cause
respondents to abandon the
questionnaire
• Increase incentives to
participate
DROPOUT SOLUTIONS

23. PROBLEMS and SOLUTIONS
Internet-based surveys are subject to
the same ethical rules as
paper-based surveys

24. Sampling bias is a major concern for Internet based
surveys. Internet-mediated research is immediately
subject to serious problems concerning sampling
representatives and validity of data( Coober 1997;
Roztoki and Lahri 2002)
SAMPLING in Internet-based Surveys

25. SAMPLING in Internet-based Surveys
Watt ( 1997) suggests the three types of Internet
sample:
1. Unrestricted sample -anyone can complete the
questionnaire, but it may have limited
representatives.
2. Screened sample - quotas are placed on the
subsample categories and types.

26. SAMPLING in Internet-based Surveys
3. Recruited sample - respondents complete a
preliminary classification questionnaire and then ,
based on the data provided in them, are recruited or
not.

27. SAMPLING in Internet-based Surveys
High Hurdle Technique ( Reips 2002) to increase
response rate in Internet-based survey
• patience : loading time and long texts
• duration
• Seriousness
• Personalization
• impression of control

28. SAMPLING in Internet-based Surveys
• Privacy
• Preconditions
• Technical pretest
• Rewards

29. INTERNET – BASED EXPERIMENTING
Hewson et al. (2003) classify the four principal types of
Internet-based experiments:
1. Static printed materials - Sends formulated material
to respondents (e.g graphically presented material)
2. Use of non-printed material (e.g video clips or
sound)

30. INTERNET – BASED EXPERIMENTING
3. Reaction- time experiments - requires very precise
timing.
4. Internet interviewing - facilitated by chat rooms.

31. INTERNET – BASED EXPERIMENTING

32. DOS in INTERNET – BASED EXPERIMENTING
• use dropout as a dependent variable
• use dropout to detect motivational confounding
• place questions for personal information at the
beginning of the Internet study
• use technique that help ensure quality of data
collection over the Internet.
• use Internet- based tools and services to develop and
announce your study.

33. DON’TS in INTERNET – BASED
EXPERIMENTING
• Do not allow external access to unprotected
directories
• do not allow public display of confidential participant
data through URLs
• Do not accidentally reveal the experiment’s structure
• Do not ignore the technical variance inherent in the
Internet

34. DON’TS in INTERNET – BASED EXPERIMENTING
• do not bias the results through improper use of form
elements, such as measurement errors where
omitting particular categories.

35. INTERNET – BASED INTERVIEWS

36. INTERNET – BASED INTERVIEWS
• The opportunity that Internet interviews present for
interviewing respondents is immense.
• It enable researchers to contact hard-to-reach groups
and individuals.
• Chat rooms provide opportunity for split screens and
shared screens, thereby displaying the ongoing
dialogue between participants.

37. INTERNET – BASED INTERVIEWS
• Internet interviewing can also go offline
• It requires both parties to agree a time to log on to
the computer in order to conduct the interview