Comparing Internet and phone survey mode effects across countries and research contexts. (27th September 2021)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Cohen, Jed J.; Reichl, Johannes
• Is Part Of: Australian journal of agricultural and resource economics. Volume 66:Number 1(2022)
• Page Start: 44
• Page End: 71
• Publication Date: 2021-09-27
• Subjects: Internet survey -- public acceptance -- social desirability bias -- survey mode -- telephone survey -- willingness to pay; Agriculture -- Economic aspects -- Periodicals; Agriculture -- Environmental aspects -- Periodicals; Natural resources -- Periodicals; Agriculture -- Economic aspects -- Australia -- Periodicals; Natural resources -- Australia -- Periodicals; 338.1
• DOI: 10.1111/1467-8489.12451
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1364-985X

Abstract

Abstract : We compare Internet and telephone survey responses across 27 European Union nations and two research contexts: one, a choice experiment of willingness to pay to avoid power outages, and the other, a public acceptance of energy infrastructure question. The various forms of survey mode effects and the challenges of survey mode choice are documented and developed in the context of statistical theory and an application to an economics survey. We find evidence that survey mode effects vary across research contexts, and to a lesser extent, across nations. We suggest that the degree of measurement bias may be varying between research contexts, for example based on the availability of a perceived socially correct response within a given context. Future survey‐based research should evaluate the choice of survey mode in a context‐ and region‐specific manner.