Posts Tagged ‘Online Panels’

How Good Are Online Survey Panels?

Thursday, April 1st, 2010

Ten years ago, surveys through online panels were rare.  Mostly we conducted telephone surveys.  Today it is the other way around.  With online survey panels being a $2 billion industry in the U.S., there is now a wealth of comparative data to measure and assess the implications of using online surveys as a substitute for phone surveys.

The American Association of Public Opinion Research (AAPOR) convened a task force in the fall of 2008 to study online survey panels, and they have just released their report.  It summarizes issues related to recruitment, panel maintenance, post-survey statistical adjustments, validity, and reliability.

Here is a summary of their conclusions and recommendations (quoted verbatim): (more…)