Handbook of Web Surveys

Handbook of Web Surveys presents a self-contained guide to methodological issues related to web surveys, covering both theoretical and practical aspects of the topic. The book first approaches the subject of web survey design, addressing the main question: How can an electronic questionnaire be designed such that respondents can complete it on the Internet without introducing (too many) errors? The second portion of the book is devoted to sampling issues and helping readers understanding how proper samples for web surveys can be selected to allow for unbiased estimation of population characteristics. The authors also explore the topics of under-coverage, self-selection, adjustment weighting, and propensity scores as they pertain to effective web survey development. Each chapter follows the same easy-to-follow format. Following an introduction, a description of theory is presented along with key formulae. Next, the discussed theory is applied to a real data set and accompanied with illustrative descriptions. Example sets and exercises are spread throughout each chapter, and a summary provides a brief overview of main points and concepts. Real data is used throughout the book, and a related Web site features additional data sets, interactive simulations, and solutions to exercises.