Instructional Manipulation Checks (IMCs) are intended to detect inattention, a common occurrence in survey responding. We use eye tracking to empirically assess the attention that survey respondents dedicate to a short and a long IMC. We find that all 21 respondents pass the short IMC. In contrast, six respondents fail the long IMC. Our…

Questionnaire design choices, such as handling 'do not know' answers or using check all that apply questions may impact the level of item- and unit nonresponse. We used experimental data from an online panel and the questions of ESS to examine how applying forced answering, offering DK/NA options and specific question formats (CATA vs. forced…

Humanitarian research with Syrian refugees can be difficult to conduct in-person, due to COVID-19 containment, security, and logistics issues. We assessed whether the online implementation of a brief, culturally grounded resilience measure would yield reliable responses for use with children and adolescents in the Middle East region. We…

This study aims to address the questionnaire design challenges in cases wherein questions involve a large number of response options. Traditionally, these long-list questions are asked in open-ended or closed-ended formats. However, alternative interface design options are emerging in computer-assisted surveys that combine both interface designs.…

The present study is the first to examine empirically whether required fields in online surveys impair reliability and response pattern, as participants forced to respond to all items may provide arbitrary answers. Two hundred and thirteen participants completed a survey consisting of six questionnaires testing personal and social issues and…

Introduction: Web-based epidemiologic surveys are being widely used, but still present lower response rates compared to traditional methods. Their design can influence survey response rates. Objective: Analyse the influence of questionnaire length, frequency of reminders, and the interaction between them, on the response rates of five web-based…

In social research, the use of agree/disagree (A/D) questions is a popular method for measuring attitudes. Research has shown that A/D questions require complex cognitive processing and are susceptible to response bias. Thus, some researchers recommend the use of item-specific (IS) questions. This study examines the processing of A/D and IS…

Comparability of data across modes is an important issue in survey research. In this paper we discuss item non-response to attitudinal questions in telephone and web surveys. We present results from a survey experiment conducted in Italy and in Spain that compares different presentations of response options in an online setting with a benchmark…

This paper analyses the quality of information collected by a self-administered survey responded to by a general population, who were offered the possibility of answering using the post or Internet. The analysis will be focused on the use of three grid questions with using rating scales with 6, 6 and 8 items, respectively. There was a polar point…