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This book explores the methodology behind online panels and addresses what should and should not be claimed about the validity of data that is generated by this rapidly growing mode of research. Online Panel Research: A Data Quality Perspective : Provides a brief history of online panels and methods that have been used.
List of contents
Preface xv
Acknowledgments xvii
About the Editors xix
About the Contributors xxiii
1 Online panel research: History, concepts, applications and a look at the future 1
Mario Callegaro, Reg Baker, Jelke Bethlehem, Anja S. Göritz, Jon A. Krosnick, and Paul J. Lavrakas
1.1 Introduction 1
1.2 Internet penetration and online panels 2
1.3 Definitions and terminology 2
1.4 A brief history of online panels 4
1.5 Development and maintenance of online panels 6
1.6 Types of studies for which online panels are used 15
1.7 Industry standards, professional associations' guidelines, and advisory groups 15
1.8 Data quality issues 17
1.9 Looking ahead to the future of online panels 17
2 A critical review of studies investigating the quality of data obtained with online panels based on probability and nonprobability samples 23
Mario Callegaro, Ana Villar, David Yeager, and Jon A. Krosnick
2.1 Introduction 23
2.2 Taxonomy of comparison studies 24
2.3 Accuracy metrics 27
2.4 Large-scale experiments on point estimates 28
2.5 Weighting adjustments 35
2.6 Predictive relationship studies 36
2.7 Experiment replicability studies 38
2.8 The special case of pre-election polls 42
2.9 Completion rates and accuracy 43
2.10 Multiple panel membership 43
2.11 Online panel studies when the offline population is less of a concern 46
2.12 Life of an online panel member 47
2.13 Summary and conclusion 48
Part I COVERAGE 55
Introduction to Part I 56
Mario Callegaro and Jon A. Krosnick
3 Assessing representativeness of a probability-based online panel in Germany 61
Bella Struminskaya, Lars Kaczmirek, Ines Schaurer, and Wolfgang Bandilla
3.1 Probability-based online panels 61
3.2 Description of the GESIS Online Panel Pilot 62
3.3 Assessing recruitment of the Online Panel Pilot 66
3.4 Assessing data quality: Comparison with external data 68
3.5 Results 74
3.6 Discussion and conclusion 80
4 Online panels and validity: Representativeness and attrition in the Finnish eOpinion panel 86
Kimmo Grönlund and Kim Strandberg
4.1 Introduction 86
4.2 Online panels: Overview of methodological considerations 87
4.3 Design and research questions 88
4.4 Data and methods 90
4.5 Findings 92
4.6 Conclusion 100
5 The untold story of multi-mode (online and mail) consumer panels: From optimal recruitment to retention and attrition 104
Allan L. McCutcheon, Kumar Rao, and Olena Kaminska
5.1 Introduction 104
5.2 Literature review 107
5.3 Methods 108
5.4 Results 115
5.5 Discussion and conclusion 124
Part II NONRESPONSE 127
Introduction to Part II 128
Jelke Bethlehem and Paul J. Lavrakas
6 Nonresponse and attrition in a probability-based online panel for the general population 135
Peter Lugtig, Marcel Das, and Annette Scherpenzeel
6.1 Introduction 135
6.2 Attrition in online panels versus offline panels 137
6.3 The LISS panel 139
6.4 Attrition modeling and results 142
6.5 Comparison of attrition and nonresponse bias 148
6.6 Discussion and conclusion 150
7 Determinants of the starting rate and the completion rate in online panel studies 154
Anja S. Göritz
7.1 Introduction 154
7.2 Dependent variables 155
7.3 Independent variables 156
7.4 Hypotheses 156
7.5
About the author
Mario Callegaro, Survey Research Scientist, Quantitative Marketing, Google Inc., UK
Reg Baker, President & Chief Operating Officer, Market Strategies International, USA
Paul J. Lavrakas, Nielsen Media Research, Research Psychologist/Research Methodologist, USA
Jon A. Krosnick, Professor of Political Science, Communication, Psychology, Stanford University, USA
Jelke Bethlehem, Department of Quantitative Economics, University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Anja Göritz, University of Erlangen-Nuremberg, Department of Economics and Social Psychology, Germany
Summary
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.
