AN EMPIRICAL ASSESSMENT OF DATA COLLECTION USING THE INTERNET

TLDR

The study investigated the viability of Web-based data collection by comparing two employee survey datasets. Data were gathered using identical questionnaires from two samples—50 respondents online and 181 respondents via paper. Web surveys yielded fewer missing values, produced covariance structures comparable to paper surveys, and the authors evaluated the costs and benefits of access controls, noting four applications that do not require such controls.

Abstract

Identical questionnaire items were used to gather data from 2 samples of employees. One sample ( n = 50) responded to a survey implemented on the World Wide Web. Another sample ( n = 181) filled out a paper version of the survey. Analyses of the 2 data sets supported an exploration of the viability of World Wide Web data collection. The World Wide Web data had fewer missing values than the paper and pencil data. A covariance analysis simultaneously conducted in both samples indicated similar covariance structures among the tested variables. The costs and benefits of using access controls to improve sampling are discussed. Four applications that do not require such access controls are discussed.