The Right Mix? A Randomized Experiment to Analyze Data Quality when Combining Telephone and Online Surveys in Empirical Social Research

Abstract

"This study investigates the data quality achieved by combining telephone and online surveys. Mixed-mode designs are rarely implemented in German academic social research, even though this procedure may offer several advantages. It is also possible that some negative effects may result from combining data from different sources. A randomized experiment is used to compare a single-mode telephone survey with a mixed-mode telephone and online survey which investigate a variety of indicators of data quality. In the mixed-mode condition the response rate was significantly higher, the composition of the sociodemographic variables of the sample is closer to the population distribution, and social desirability bias was also reduced. In some cases non-response rises, but these specific circumstances are easily avoidable." (Author's abstract, © De Gruyter) ((en))

Cite article

Krug, G., Carstensen, J. & Kriwy, P. (2017): Die richtige Mischung? Ein randomisiertes Experiment zur Datenqualität bei der Kombination von Telefon- und Onlineerhebung in der empirischen Sozialforschung. In: Zeitschrift für Soziologie, Vol. 46, No. 2, p. 89-106. DOI:10.1515/zfsoz-2017-1006