Mobile Web Survey in the International Setting (Presentation Slides)

Abstract

There is no doubt that more people are taking web surveys using their mobile devices. In non-English speaking countries, in particular, more respondents complete online surveys using mobile devices than using desktop or laptop computers. This phenomenon has a huge implication on survey research as different devices are associated with different survey measurement and nonresponse errors, which in turn could affect the survey estimates themselves. Also, data quality, as measured by survey satisficing theory, could also be affected by the survey-taking device. An increasing amount of research has been devoted to examining and comparing survey data collected from mobile and non-mobile devices. This study will expand the existing literature by examining mobile web survey data from six countries, up to three samples within each country, and across three waves of data collection. Specifically, the study was conducted in the U.S., U.K. Australia, China, Brazil, and India. Within each country, data were collected through up to three online panel providers, including SurveyMonkey Audience, Cint, and TapResearch. In addition, for each country/sample combination, three waves of data collection were performed, with each wave one month apart. The samples were independent across the three waves. Respondents could choose the device (as opposed to been assigned to) for taking the survey. The same questionnaire (except minor changes to the demographic questions) was used in the study. In the presentation, we will present whether the mobile web usage different by country and sample. Also, we will show the demographic and data quality differences, if any, between mobile and non-mobile respondents by country and sample. This is the first study of this kind that examines the mobile web in such large scale and cross-cultural perspective.