Transcript Capturing them in the Web: Using Web

Capturing them in the Web: Using Web-Based
Surveys to Increase Response Rates for
College Freshman
Debbie Bond-Hu
Evaluation Intern
Syracuse University Project Advance
NACEP Conference 2004
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Overview
• Why do you want to use online surveys
now?
• Transitioning a paper survey to an online
survey
• Types of online surveys and data collection
and return methods
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Why the Time is Now to Use Online
Surveys?
• Participants are considered the ‘millennium
generation’
• Main form of communication with friends are
Email and Chat functions
• Gather most of their current events via the Internet
• 95% of four year institutions provide freshman
students with email addresses
• 92% of higher educational institutions have web
access available to its students
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Basic Paper Survey Principles
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Make the survey meaningful to the participants
Keep the survey short and simple
Use white space wisely
Clear and concise directions
Have a way for participants to contact you in case
of questions
• Have at least two contacts with the participants
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Basic Principles for Online Surveys
• User friendly
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Ease of navigation
Use of radio buttons instead of pull down menus
Limit scrolling
Limit number of actions on each page
• Questionnaire length and time on home page
• Allow for non-response on questions
• Use formatting similar to paper surveys
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Non-Response Behavior:
Online and Paper Surveys
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Not salient/meaningful
Too long (issue of time)
Poor directions
Confusion in navigation
Too complicated
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How to make a paper survey an
online survey
• Understand online survey methods and
techniques for sampling
• Understand basic survey principles on
response and non-response
• Design an effective online tool SIMILAR
(not identical) to the paper survey for data
collection
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Surveys, Surveys and More Surveys
Type of Survey
Solicitation Methods
Ways to
Respond
Examples
Web-Based
Pop-ups
Web Page
Ad pops up when you visit a
site
On-line
Emails
Web Page
Person asked to go to a site
in an email
Paper
Mailing
Mail
Receive a mailing
Email
Email
Email
You are asked to respond in
an email
Mixed Method
Email
Mailing
Web Page
Mail
Receive a letter asking you
to go to an online survey or
respond via the paper survey
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Context for the Study
• Syracuse University Project Advance wanted to increase its response
rates for its yearly post-graduate survey
• Traditionally:
• First mailing
• Second mailing
• New Strategy:
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Allow students the option to complete the survey online
First Mailing
Second Mailing
Postcard Mailing
• Time Frame
• December 15th - First Mailing
• January 2nd – Second Mailing
• March 1st – Postcard Mailing
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Results
• 4283 participants
• 1496 surveys returned (35%)
• 45% of the returned surveys were completed
online
Contact
#2
234
Post
Card
123
Total
Online
Contact
#1
313
Mail
421
397
8
826
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670
The Transformation from Paper to
Online at Project Advance
• Paper Survey
• Online Survey
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Basic Design Considerations
Concise Introduction
with Directions
Secure login
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Basic Design Considerations
Personalized
Radio Buttons
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Basic Design Considerations
Compact pages to
eliminate scrolling
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Basic Design Considerations
Personalized
Thank You
Re-cap
Feedback
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Conclusion
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Online ≠ Paper Survey
Simple
Short
Salient
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