Internet-Based Research Central Mindanao University

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