Evans2018 - Online Survey

Internet Research
The value of online surveys: a look back and a look ahead

Joel R. Evans, Anil Mathur,
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Joel R. Evans, Anil Mathur, "The value of online surveys: a look back and a look ahead", Internet Research, https://
doi.org/10.1108/IntR-03-2018-0089
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The value of online surveys: a look back and a look ahead
Abstract
Purpose – To present a detailed and critical look at the evolution of online survey research since
Evans and Mathur’s 2005 article on the value of online surveys. At that time, online survey research
was in its early stages. Also covered are the present and future states of online research. Many
conclusions and recommendations are presented.

Design/methodology/approach – The look back focuses on online surveys, strengths and
weaknesses of online surveys, the literature on several aspects of online surveys, and online survey
best practices. The look ahead focuses on emerging survey technologies and methodologies, and
new non-survey technologies and methodologies. Conclusions and recommendations are provided.
Findings – Online survey research is used more frequently and better accepted by researchers than
in 2005. Yet, survey techniques are still regularly transformed by new technologies. Non-survey
digital research is also more prominent than in 2005 and can better track actual behavior than
surveys can. Hybrid surveys will be widespread in the future.
Practical implications – The paper aims to provide insights for researchers with different levels of
online survey experience. And both academics and practitioners should gain insights.
Social implications – Adhering to a strong ethics code is vital to gain respondents’ trust and to
produce valid results.
Originality/value – Conclusions and recommendations are offered in these specific areas: defining
concepts, understanding the future role of surveys, developing and implementing surveys, and a
survey code of ethics. The literature review cites more than 200 sources.
Keywords Online survey, Research trends, Theories of survey research, Survey methodology,
Content analysis, Future of the online survey, Survey ethics
Paper type General review
Note: We thank the editor for her support of this project, and all of the reviewers for their suggestions that
have improved this paper.
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INTRODUCTION
Internet-based research has come of age. About thirteen years ago, when “The Value of Online
Surveys” was published in Internet Research (Evans and Mathur, 2005), online surveys were not
yet well respected. Although now popular, SurveyMonkey – founded in 1999 – and Qualtrics –
founded in 2002, had not attained any real sophistication or critical mass as of 2005. Thus, they and
other newer online survey methodologies were not even discussed in the earlier article. Things
have certainly changed since 2005 – with the rapid growth of online survey research and advances
in technology, including the Internet of Things.
The 2005 article focused on the VALUE of doing online surveys as compared with other
modalities. It included the strengths and potential weaknesses of online surveys, aspects of
respondent methodology for online surveys (as well as mail surveys), how to address the potential
weaknesses of online surveys, and a directory of online survey services.
In this article, the focus is on the evolution of online survey research from 2005 to the present,
as well as a look at what is ahead for survey research. Online surveys not only continue to grow in
popularity and to mature as a research technique, but new technologies have also changed survey
methodologies – and possibilities. While earlier research and interest as to online surveys were
driven by the potential benefits of doing research online, the growth of online surveys has further
brought to the forefront some limitations and pitfalls of doing surveys online.
In view of its continuing growth, potential for future growth, and issues that could negatively
affect online survey growth, it is important to examine online survey research’s current and future
usefulness to researchers and practitioners. The objectives of this paper are to look at what has
changed since the 2005 article, to examine evolving trends, and to see where they are heading.
Extensive conclusions and guidelines are then presented as to the future role of survey research,
developing and implementing survey methodologies, and a code of ethics for survey research.
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A LOOK BACK
In this section, we cover these topics regarding the period from 2005 to 2018: the growth of online
surveys, the strengths and weaknesses of online surveys, research on line surveys, online survey
best practices, and online survey firms.
The Growth of Online Surveys
During 2005, online survey research amounted to just over $1 billion in spending (Aster 2004). At
that time, predictions were that online survey research would grow significantly. That has certainly
been the case. Since its infancy in the mid-1990s, online research has found ready acceptance
among academic researchers and practitioners.
In 2005, the revenues of the global marketing research industry were estimated at $23 billion,
rising to $32 billion in 2008. Then, after a decline amidst the Great Recession, the industry
rebounded. According to Terhanian et al. (2016), online survey research alone accounted for $6
billion in expenditures in 2015. For 2016, global marketing industry revenues were estimated at
nearly $45 billion (Statista 2017a). Thus, based on our analysis, it is conservatively estimated that
the share of all forms of marketing research devoted to online surveys is 20 percent. As a result, the
revenues accruing from online surveys could have been as high as $9 billion in 2016 – an eight-fold
increase in comparison to 2005. This does not include the value of academic research based on
online surveys. In looking ahead, the dramatic effects of new technologies on marketing research in
general and online surveys more specifically need to be considered.
After an extensive review of information from trade associations, industry experts, and
academic journals, this is what we believe about the status of online survey research today:
• Overall data as to the current use of online surveys are hard to break out because of the way
that survey data are often reported. For example, ESOMAR (2016) uses “online” as a
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catchall term for any type of research done online, yet it considers “automatic
digital/electronic” separately. Statista (2017a), based on ESOMAR data, separates “online
quantitative/research”, “automated digital/electronic surveys”, “mobile/smartphone online
quantitative research”, and “online research communities” in noting their usage.
• The best source for determining the present status of research is the GreenBook’s GRIT
report (2017). More than 1,500 marketing research professionals (both suppliers and buyers
of data) from about 75 countries participated in the 2017 study and gave their input on
various research topics. According to that study, for those engaged in quantitative research,
56 percent most often utilize online surveys and 14 percent most often utilize mobile
surveys. For those engaged in qualitative research, a much small percentage engage in
online surveys. This report is published free on a regular basis.
• Pew Research Center (2018b) reports that the dramatic increase in survey research via the
Internet over the past 10 years is driven by three powerful industry trends: broadband
connectivity, smart mobile device ownership, and social media and social networking.
• Virtually all major players in the global marketing research industry are engaged in at least
some online survey research; and a number of them have their own online consumer panels.
For example, Kantar (2018) has 5.5 million online research respondents covering 45
countries. It also monitors social media in 67 languages among countries. At Ipsos (2017),
80 percent of its research involves surveys. And now, more than half of its surveys are
online/mobile – up from 19 percent in 2005.
• Over the same time period, considerably more research has been conducted regarding the
theoretical bases needed for good online surveys, as well as the issues related to the
implementation of online surveys. Much of this research addresses data quality and online
survey usefulness.
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So, how well do the concepts from the original article hold up? Let us review how online survey
research has evolved from the vantage point of the 2005 article: strengths and weaknesses of online
surveys, online surveys and other research formats, best uses and best practices, and online survey
firms. Then, we will look at future possibilities.
The Strengths and Weaknesses of Online Surveys

In the 2005 paper, a number of major strengths and weaknesses associated with online surveys were
highlighted and discussed. Those strengths and weaknesses are shown in Figure 1. And they hold up
remarkably well. The strengths are still in play; and the potential weaknesses still exist despite more
than a decade to address them. They are often inherent with this format. Next, consider how many
of these factors have evolved over the past thirteen years.
Figure 1 goes about here.
Major Strengths
Global reach continues to be a big advantage of online surveys. It is estimated that 52 percent of
the world population has access to the Internet via traditional devices or via mobile devices. Yet,
there is a big difference among countries. The range includes countries with close to 100 percent
coverage – such as Iceland – as well as countries in Asia and Africa that have more limited
coverage – such as India at 34 percent and Central African Republic at 5 percent. (Miniwatts
Marketing Group, 2018). Institutions and governments are investing heavily in the Internet
infrastructure so as to connect as many people as possible. Thus, greater coverage for researchers
interested in reaching global populations for their online studies we can be expected. As of 2021,
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eMarketer (2017b) projects that nearly 54 percent of the worldwide population will use the Internet
at least once per month, representing more than 4.1 billion people.
Flexibility has increased tremendously due to advances in technology. In the past, a survey
designer had to learn to program and had to write the code in html to create a survey. Today, with
the availability of various online survey programs, creating and launching an online survey has
become very easy. Those programs provide flexibility in terms of question type, question format,
response categories, layout, fonts, and visual aspects. They also offer flexibility in terms of
automatic logic control, branching, randomization of questions, and assignment of respondents to
experimental conditions. In addition, the programs provide flexibility in restricting/eliminating
invalid responses.
Speed and timeliness continue to be an advantage of online surveys. With the increase in those
who have access to high-speed Internet connections, survey speed and timeliness have reached
another level. Moreover, now that a significant number of people access the Internet via their
smartphones, researchers can reach potential participants virtually anywhere and at any time.
Technological innovations continue to influence and improve online research. It is estimated
that about three-quarters of U.S. households/individuals have access to high speed Internet
connections (Pew Research Center, 2018a). At the same time, innovations related to mobile
communications and multiple sensors/technologies available in mobile devices enable researchers
to collect complex data in more convenient ways. These technologies also enable better targeting of
potential participants (such as geotargeting of potential participants via GPS tracking information).
Convenience continues to be an advantage of online research. In fact, its importance and value
have risen significantly. Because study participants can connect to the Internet using various types
of mobile devices (tablets, smartphones, etc.), it is becoming more convenient for them to
participate in online research. It is estimated that 14 percent of survey respondents already use
mobile devices to participate in online surveys (GreenBook, 2017).
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Ease of data entry and analysis continue to be key advantages of online surveys. Most online
survey platforms offer some aspects of built-in analytic tools. They can carry out analysis
immediately. Some offer graphic display capabilities in analyses. As such, researchers can do live
analysis of the available data as more participants complete the survey and their data are collected.
Question diversity remains a major advantage. Since the 2005 article, it has become possible to
add more question formats. In fact, some online survey platforms (such as Qualtrics) can
automatically reformat a survey to suit the device the participant uses to connect to the Internet.
Large samples easy to obtain. Although low response rates continue to be an important issue
for online researchers, it is possible to obtain large samples at a fraction of the cost of traditional
mail or telephone surveys.
Required or forced completion of survey questions is often an advantage. Although some
participants may be reluctant to answer certain questions, survey programming can be such that the
survey site would alert the participant to answer all questions. Thus, skipping or jumping to the next
question without answering the question on the screen can be prevented. However, special
consideration may be needed for sensitive topics.
Go to capabilities. Logical trees – whereby respondents are automatically directed to specific
sections of the surveys/questions based on their responses to previous questions – have become
more advanced and capable. Randomization of assignment of participants to specific experimental
conditions or in response to specific questions is also possible.
Major Weaknesses
Perception as junk mail. The perception of E-mail invitations to participate in online surveys
as junk mail remains a large problem. It is estimated that a majority of E-mail is junk mail.
According to Statista (2018a), 59 percent of all E-mails were spam in September 2017. As such,
specialized firms have developed tools that automatically filter junk mail/spam/unsolicited mail.
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Unfortunately, online researchers may be victims of this problem. Also, many unscrupulous players
have disguised themselves as researchers and attempted to collect information about people that
they then misuse to sell to them or to cheat them. This has resulted in numerous people mistrusting
any invitations they receive to participate in online surveys. As such, a vast majority of invitations
to participate end up in the junk mail folder and/or are ignored by people.
Sampling. Concerns remain with regard to the skewed attributes of the Internet population,
sample selection and implementation, some respondents’ lack of online experience/expertise, and
technological variations.
Unclear answering instructions. While unclear answering instructions have been a weakness
in the past, and continue to be a disadvantage for poorly designed questionnaires, a lot of research
has been conducted on online questionnaire design. Thus, guidelines are available so that
researchers can learn from past mistakes and make sure their instructions clearer.
Impersonal. Although surveys often were designed to be impersonal in the past, technological
advances now enable researchers to send out personalized invitations to participate. Surveys can
also be designed to incorporate some personal attributes of each potential participant. Furthermore,
data can be linked to previously collected information for each participant. While these approaches
can minimize this weakness of impersonal surveys, they may cause a problem with privacy.
Privacy issues. Vulnerabilities associated with privacy issues have increased. Now that
researchers can collect enormous amounts of data and create detailed profiles of individuals, people
are more concerned about their privacy and the security of the information they share. Many people
refuse to participate in surveys because of privacy concerns. For online researchers, it is crucial to
have clear and well-articulated privacy policies. And researchers have to convince potential
participants that the researchers will adhere to those privacy policies. Given the number of mergers
and acquisitions, as well as bankruptcies, what happens to the data collected and owned by the firms
involved? Laws are unclear about the privacy of data once it passes hands via a merger/acquisition
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and/or a bankruptcy/sale of a company.
Low response rates continue to be a concern. Based on a meta-analysis, Manfreda et al. (2008)
found that the average response rate was 11 percent for online surveys and that the 95 percent
confidence interval was 6 percent to 15 percent. That low rate has dropped even further since then.
Many researchers have investigated the reasons for the low response rates and suggested ways to
improve them. Some factors that affect response rates include survey length (Galesic and Bosnjak,
2009), content and wording of surveys ( Hansen and Smith, 2012; Fazekas et al., 2014),
personalization issues (Sauermann and Roach 2013), invitation wording and reminders (Petrovcic
et al., 2016; Sauermann and Roach, 2013), incentives (Pedersen and Nielsen, 2014; Sauermann and
Roach, 2013), researcher and sponsor identity (Pan et al., 2013), and the default settings in the
survey (Jin, 2011).
Based on another meta-analysis, Fan and Yan (2010) concluded that online survey response rates
are influenced by such factors as the sponsoring organization, survey topic, survey length, question
wording, question order, question display (such as screen-by-screen or scrolling, backgrounds, logo
display, graphics and progress display, navigational instructions, and question format), sampling
methods, contact delivery modes, pre-notification, design of invitation, and incentives.
Research on Online Surveys
In this section, a number of topics regarding how online surveys have evolved since the 2005 article
are addressed. Our greatest emphasis is on theory-based research and research on data quality.
Theory-Based. There have been a number of articles on the theoretical underpinnings of good
survey methods. In particular, what can be done to persuade respondents that the benefits of survey
participation far outweigh the costs? And how can survey data quality be optimized? These are
topics among others addressed by researchers [In addition, several of the articles cited in the
following sections are theoretical in nature.]:
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• Response behavior models (Greszk et al., 2015; Neslin et al., 2009; Rogelberg et al., 2006)
• Total survey error paradigm (Biemer, 2010; Ha et al., 2015)
• Theoretical assumptions about real and falsified data (Landrock and Menold, 2016)
• Social psychology and online social networks/communities (Kugler, 2014; Li, 2011; Riedl et
al., 2013)
• Validity of different scales in online surveys (Revilla and Ochoa, 2015)

• Insights about online data collection from academics teaching research methods courses
(Kilinç and Firat 2017)
• Factors affecting self-disclosure on social media sites (Chen et al., 2015; Cheung et al.,
2015)
• Respondent conditioning with online panel surveys (Struminskaya, 2016)
Data Quality. Related to the expanding theory-based literature for online surveys methods is
the recent literature on data quality. These are some examples:
• Validating customer profile data (Park et al., 2012)
• Satisficing response behavior and data quality (Barge and Gehlbach, 2012)
• Online consumer review credibility (Cheung et al., 2012)
• Online conflict of interest disclosures (Jensen and Yetgin, 2017)
• Methodologies for open-ended question analysis (Fielding et al., 2013; Holland and
Christian, 2009; Scholz and Zuell, 2012)
• Data quality and sampling techniques (Dutwin and Buslirk, 2017)
• Carelessness in answering online surveys (Ward et al., 2017)
• Completion rates for online surveys (Antoun et al., 2017; Liu and Wronski, 2017)
• Effects of topic sensitivity on data quality (Roster et al., 2017)
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• Data quality and the Internet of Things (Karkouch et al., 2016)
Survey formats. These are among the survey format topics that have been studied: respondent
engagement (Downes-Le Guin et al., 2012); visualization effects (McDevitt, 2005); survey fatigue
(Papachristos, 2014); trends in quantitative research methods (Henning, 2014; Pecáková, 2016); and
survey delivery mode – such as face-to-face versus online surveys (Heerwegh, 2009; Revilla and
Saris, 2013), telephone versus online surveys (Braunsberger et al., 2007; Herian and Tomkins,
2012; Xing and Handy, 2014; Yeager et al., 2011), mail versus online surveys (Deutskens et al.,
2006), and paper versus online surveys (Schneider, 2015).
Panels. To improve the quality and representativeness of online survey responses, a number of
researchers – both academic and non-academic – have turned more to consumer panels. One firm,
SSI (2018), has a global panel with 11.5 million members across more than 100 countries. As such,
the literature in this area has grown a lot since 2005 and covers such aspects of panels as these:
types of panels (Krajicek, 2015), recruiting online panels (Martinsson et al., 2017), why people join
panels (Brüggen and Dholakia, 2010), topic interest and salience (Keusch, 2011), opt-in panels
(Brown et al., 2012), early versus late panel respondents (Sharp et al., 2011), response styles
(Menictas et al., 2011), and response metrics (Callegaro and Disogra, 2008).
Mobile surveys. Because of the worldwide increase in mobile device usage (see Deloitte,
2017), more survey research is now conducted through these devices. For example, according to
Forrester Research (Statista, 2017b), well over 90 percent of U.S. smartphone users access the
Internet from their phones at least once per week. As a result, there has been substantial research on
mobile survey topics, such as: panel surveys via mobile devices (Revilla, 2016; Weber et al., 2008),
the effect of survey formats and design (Antoun et al., 2017; De Bruijne and Wijnant, 2014), the
choice of survey modes (Wells, 2015), assessing mobile surveys (Lynn and Kaminska, 2012;
Okazaki, 2007), and extracting social behavior (Palaghias et al., 2016).
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Hybrid surveys. With the advances in technology and survey research tools, some researchers
have turned to hybrid/multimedia surveys to enhance the quality of survey responses. Consider this
observation from iModerate (2018): “The companies that win are the ones that have a 360-degree
view of their consumer and their competitors. There is no better way to get this view than to blend
methods for a complete picture of your customers”. Research on hybrid surveys has involved such
analyses as these: invitation modes and non-response rates (Maxi et al., 2010; Porter and
Whitcomb, 2007), response modes and non-response rates (Millar and Dillman, 2011), combining
quantity and quality measures (Mauceri, 2016), the use of open-ended questions (Altintzoglou et al.,
2017), and mode effects on answers (Vannieuwenhuyze et al., 2010).
Social media. As Cheung et al. (2014) note: “The rise of social media has facilitated consumer
social interactions. Consumers use online social platforms, including social networking sites, blogs,
social shopping communities, and consumer review sites, to communicate opinions about products
and exchange purchase experiences”. Thus, consumer attitudes and other valuable information can
be gleaned from social media. [And later in the paper, it is discussed how survey research can entail
utilizing social media.] These are among the aspects of social media research that have been
studied: undertaking surveys at social media sites (Gregori and Baltar, 2011), critical mass and
collective intention (Shen et al., 2013), the level of engagement (Abitbol and Lee, 2017; Wiese et
al., 2017), friend recommendations (Shen et al., 2013), and microblogging (Li and Liu, 2017).
Big data. Today, people are inundated with information about big data and its transformational
impact. For instance, Google can read, analyze, and sort every digital volume in the U.S. Library of
Congress in one-tenth of a second; and data analysis that cost $1 million in 2000, cost $10 in 2016
(Springer, 2017). But in the midst of the excitement about the possibilities of big data, realism is
also required. As Clarke (2016, p. 77) observes:
The “big data” literature, academic as well as professional, has a very strong focus on
opportunities. Far less attention has been paid to the threats that arise from repurposing data,
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consolidating data from multiple sources, applying analytical tools to the resulting collections,
drawing inferences, and acting on them. [We] draw attention to the responsibility of researchers
and professionals to temper their excitement and apply reality checks.
These are among the relevant research projects on big data: the evolution of big data techniques
(Lee, 2017; Yaqoob et al., 2016), transformational issues (Baesens et al., 2016), social network
analysis (Dabas, 2017), and big data SWOT analysis (Ahmadi et al., 2016).
Data analytics. The availability of big data does not add much to the knowledge base unless
appropriate data analytics are performed well. This is not always the case. According to an
Accenture global survey (2017), weak personalization efforts cost companies $2.5 trillion
worldwide in lost revenues annually. And that may be tied to poor use of big data. Important
research in this area relates to: big data analytics challenges (Lee 2017; Pouyanfar. et al., 2018), big
data reduction methods (Rehman et al., (2016), customer experiences on social media (Ting et al.,
2017), and debunking myths (Gandomi and Haider, 2015; Kimble and Milolidakis, 2015).
Survey incentives. As survey response rates have fallen, the issue of incentives has become
more hotly debated. The discussion typically focuses on the benefits of higher response rates versus
the possible answer bias caused by incentives. SurveyMonkey (2018) says this about incentives:
Incentivizing surveys may seem like a no-brainer. But consider this: Your reward may be
attracting the wrong kind of respondent. By offering everybody a reward to take your survey, it
can encourage satisficers – people who misrepresent themselves or rush through surveys to the
detriment of your survey results – just to collect a reward. However, incentivizing isn’t all bad.
Offering survey rewards can help you encourage hard-to-reach audiences to take your survey.
You can even offer indirect rewards to your respondents to benefit a third party, like a charity.
Decide whether or not to incentivize your survey by carefully considering the circumstances.
The literature on incentives has covered such areas as these: types of incentives (Göritz and Luthe,
2013; LaRose and Tsai, 2014; Pedersen and Nielsen, 2016), incentive size (Hsu et al., 2017; Mercer et
al., 2015), survey appeal (Walker and Cook 2013), and panelist response motives (Smith et al., 2017).
Ethical issues. The use of online surveys poses special ethical challenges, even for well-
intended researchers. In 2009, Buchanan and Hvizdak did a study involving 750 U.S. human
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research ethics boards: “Respondents indicated that the electronic and online nature of these survey
data challenges traditional research ethics principles such as consent, risk, privacy, anonymity,
confidentiality, and autonomy, and adds new methodological complexities surrounding data storage,
security, sampling, and survey design”. (p. 37) It is interesting that some respondents believe their
privacy is being breached even if it is not. According to Sitecore, companies are less likely to
collect customer data than their customers believe (eMarketer, 2017a). Other studies have dealt with
ethics in the context of such topics as acceptable standards (Williams, 2012), social media research
(Moreno et al., 2013), online communities (Pan et al., 2017), notice and consent (Liu, 2014), and
the effects of fake online information (Burkhardt, 2017; Sirajudee et. al., 2017).
False information from respondents. A mounting problem involves respondents who
intentionally provide false information about their attitudes, behavior, and/or demographics. There
has been a lot of research on this, such as: predicting and detecting falsifications (Akbulut, 2015;
Simmons et al., 2016), answering without really reading the survey (Anduiza and Galais, 2017;
Jones et al., 2015), Web surfing to find information about a study topic (Motta et al., 2017),
differences in falsification by sample motives (Clifford and Jerit, 2016), justifications for false
answers (Punj, 2017), and online reviews (Banerjee and Chua, 2017).
Computer literacy. This affects both the number of people with access to the Internet (which
influences study representativeness) and some people’s ability to properly complete an online
survey. According to Techopedia (2018a), a computer-literate person is someone who has the
“knowledge and skills to use a computer and other related technology”. OECD collected data during
2011 to 2015 from 33 countries, and published its results in 2016. It defined several levels of
computer proficiency: “below level 1”, 14 percent of the adult population; “level 1”, 29 percent;
“level 2”, 26 percent; “level 3”, only 5 percent; and no computer ability, 26 percent (Nielsen, 2016).
Unfortunately, this issue has not had much attention in the literature. In one relevant study,
Greenland and Kwansah-Aidoo (2012) examined the research challenges in Sub-Saharan Africa.
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Business-to-business surveys. Companies do a lot of survey research with their supply chain
partners as well as with their own employees. In some cases, online surveys are done via secure
Internet connections; other times, they are conducted through firms’ internal Intranets. To date,
there has been insufficient research on B2B online surveys. Here are some of the research projects
that have been undertaken: B2B online communities and social media utilization (Gharib et al.,
2017; Murphy and Sashi, 2018; Salo, 2017), online job applications (Morelli et al., 2014), user-
generated cross-cultural media behavior (Thakur and AlSaleh, 2017), and B2B customer insights
(Durr and Smith, 2017).
Online Survey Best Practices
A wide variety of researchers have written about the best practices to use in building, implementing,
analyzing, and presenting the results of online surveys. Later in the paper, we offer our conclusions
and recommendations. Because of the importance of this topic, Table 1 is for those who want to
access online resources about best survey practices. These are resources from practitioner (non-
academic) sources.
Table 1 goes about here.
Online Survey Firms
Online survey firms come in many types and sizes. There are traditional firms that began before
online surveys were introduced. Many of them have added online surveys to their portfolio. An
analogy can be made with the bricks-and-mortar retailers that expanded into bricks-and-clicks
formats. Specialized online survey firms also now exist; they focus on digital research. These
include Qualtrics and SurveyMonkey. In addition, there are more non-research firms that conduct
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surveys for their own use. Sometimes, they sell their findings to other companies. An example is
Experian, the credit-monitoring firm.
Large traditional research firms that have branched into the digital arena dominate the industry
worldwide. According to 2016 ESOMAR data (Statista 2018b), the largest six market research
firms – Nielsen, Kantar, Quintiles IMS, Gartner, Ipsos, and GfK – accounted for 42 percent of all
revenues attained by firms in the industry. Their dominance is due to the full-service approach they
take. However, for smaller clients, other research companies are more utilized,
A LOOK AHEAD
In looking to the future of research, especially online survey research, let us examine a number of
relevant topics. The focus is on emerging online survey technologies and methodologies, and
emerging non-survey techniques and methodologies. After that, we will present our own extensive
conclusions and recommendations.
Emerging Online Survey Technologies and Methodologies
Even with the rapid growth of newer online survey techniques and methodologies, there will be
further advances as tools evolve.
Qualitative studies. By using video chat features available on platforms such as Skype and
Zoom, it is now possible to conduct online personal interviews without having to meet in person.
These interviews can be recorded for later analysis in the traditional way as well as by using
enhanced analytical tools (such as facial analysis and voice analysis). This method will save time
and costs. Also, newer technology (such as Zoom) can enable participants to engage in online focus
groups. Thus, focus group discussions can be held live without people having to meet – saving time
and money. However, this approach may not allow the moderator to observe all nonverbal
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communications within the group. Focus group sessions can be recorded to analyze later. There
have been studies related to online personal interviews using Skype (Deakin and Wakefield, 2014;
Seitz, 2015; Hanna, 2012) and the use of online focus groups (Stewart and Shamdasani, 2017).
Crowdsourcing as a source of participants. Since the publication of the 2005 paper, a new
method of data collection has gained acceptance – the use of crowdsourcing platforms to recruit
participants and collect data for academic and practitioner research; and its popularity will grow
further in the future as the tool is better understood. Investopedia (2018) states: “Crowdsourcing
involves obtaining information or opinions from a large group of people who submit their data via
the Internet, social media, and smartphone apps. People involved in crowdsourcing sometimes work
as paid freelancers, while others perform small tasks on a voluntary basis”.
In the past, most online surveys were done by seeking participants from traditional consumer
panels, personal contacts, or E-mail lists. Then, Amazon’s Mechanical Turk (MTurk –
www.mturk.com) was established in 2005, with a platform to crowdsource participants in a more
efficient and cost-effective way (Buhrmester et al,. 2011). It is by far the most popular
crowdsourcing platform used by academics and practitioners. A search in the Google Scholar
database with the terms “Mechanical Turk” or “MTurk” produced nearly 15,000 article hits (as of
mid-April 2018) – up about one-third from the total at the start of 2017. And a study (Goodman and
Paolacci, 2017) found that between June 2012 and April 2016 nearly 27 percent of papers published
in the Journal of Consumer Research relied on data collected online via MTurk.
Initially, Amazon set up MTurk marketplace so employers could post tasks/jobs; and workers
could opt to complete the tasks for fixed monetary compensation pre-determined by the employer,
with Amazon keeping a commission. Then, academic and practitioner researchers found this
marketplace to be attractive, easily accessible, and reasonably priced for them to recruit participants
for their online studies. Although MTurk is the most popular platform, other crowdsourcing sites
have emerged – even in such languages as Japanese (see https://crowdworks.jp).
17
The crowdsourcing of data collection using platforms like MTurk is driven by these advantages:
global reach, potential sample size, ease of use, speed, low costs, participant diversity, flexibility in
question formats, respondent interest, and survey length. Some disadvantages are: sample self-
selection, too much participant knowledge on certain topics, misrepresentations, and the effect of
platforms on study design. In addition, there are some unscrupulous users who only seek to be
compensated. Despite these limitations, experts have devised guidelines and processes to help
researchers minimize their effects. Goodman and Paolacci (2017) and Wessling et al. (2017) offer
specific guidelines to deal with these limitations.
Omnichannel. There will more coordination of research efforts across the distribution channel
(supply chain). According to BRP (2017): “Successfully delivering a seamless customer experience
requires an approach that is enabled by unified commerce. This puts the customer experience first
by leveraging real-time data, which is delivered by utilizing one common, centralized, real-time
platform for all customer engagement points”. Thus, coordinated efforts to develop and analyze big
data – whether obtained through surveys or tracking – will expand (see Bradlow et al., 2017;
Raphaeli et al., 2017) to include attitudes, intentions, the purchase process, purchase history, and
demographics. One stumbling block will be the reluctance of some firms in the distribution channel
to share information with one another; because of the Internet, manufacturers and other channel
members are now more apt to compete with one another.
Internet of Things. Through the Internet of Things, more and more people – and firms – will be
“always connected”. As a result, security/privacy will remain a concern (see Airehour et al., 2016;
Zarpelão et al., 2017). For survey researchers, the challenge will be how to utilize surveys to gather
opinions and intentions regarding the use of connected devices. Good insights into the role of the
Internet of Things in future research efforts are by Ng and Wakenshaw (2017), and Qin et al. (2016).
Social media content analysis. With the continuing boom in social media platforms, more
researchers will engage in content analysis of people’s attitudes, intentions, and feedback by visiting
18
those platforms. This will be a major source of information for big data and data analytics. There is
considerable research on this subject to help us better understand the possibilities of social media
content analysis. For example, look at these studies: electronic word of mouth (Liu et al., 2016;
Raassens and Haans, 2017), Facebook likes and fan pages (Chang and Fan, 2017; Hu et al., 2017),
social tags (Nam et al., 2017), information from tweets (Søilen et al., 2017); and sentiment analysis
(Bohlouli et al., 2015).
Customer reviews. With the eroding trust of some commercial sources, the number of people
turning to customer reviews for company and product information will increase, due to their greater
perceived honesty. Thus, researchers will increase their content analysis of reviews, just as with
social media. The literature on this topic is quite extensive, on such aspects as these: why people
post customer reviews (Cheung and Lee, 2012), the helpfulness and use of reviews (Singh et al.,
2017; Zhang et al., 2017), sentiment analysis (Salehan and Kim, 2016; Wang et al., 2017), and the
dark side of reviews (Liu and Karahanna; 2017; Zhang et al., 2014).
Netnography. According to a 2002 article by Kozinets (p. 61):
Netnography is ethnography adapted to the study of online communities. As a method,

netnography is faster, simpler, and less expensive than traditional ethnography and more
naturalistic and unobtrusive than focus groups or interviews. It provides information on the
symbolism, meanings, and consumption patterns of online consumer groups. Guidelines
[should] acknowledge the online environment, respect the inherent flexibility and openness of
ethnography, and provide rigor and ethics in the conduct of marketing research.
Only recently, due to the evolution of the Internet and computer software, has netnography become
a truly viable content analysis tool for the researcher. And it will be used more widely in the future.
To learn about the current status of netnography, see Costello et al. (2017).
Emerging Non-Survey Technologies and Methodologies
Although the main focus of this paper is online surveys, it must also be noted that new technologies
are being developed and deployed to carry out further types of data collection for research purposes.
19
The discussion here covers how some of these technologies could be deployed. Note: The Future
Today Institute (2017) has published a comprehensive overview of 158 different technology trends
that are in process and that will influence future research efforts. It is available as a free download.
Observational research. Although survey research depends on people to directly or indirectly
provide information through communications, observational research relies on noting behavior in
natural and/or artificial settings. Observational research generally generates richer data because it
does not rely on the subject to provide information. In many instances, surveys may be used as a
supplement to observation (through hybrid research). These are examples of how observational
research is being done today – with a strong possibility of more extensive use in the future:
• To track online customer search and shopping (see Park, 2017)
• To monitor in-store behavior (see Sorensen et al., 2017)
• To track behavior through wearable devices (see Webster et al., 2017)
• To gather data from the use of mobile apps (see Han et al., 2016; Kim et al., 2017)
• To study locational data – of both people and devices – with GPS software (see Korpilo et al.,
2017; Shoval and Ahas, 2017)
• To see how touchscreens influence behavior (see Zhu and Meyer, 2017)
• To collect data using Google Trends – which tracks Google Search terms (see Castelnuovo
and Tran, 2017; Siliverstovs and Wochner, 2018; Stocking and Matsa, 2017)
• To use advanced eye-tracking, facial recognition, neuroscience, and other high-tech tools to
gauge physiological reactions to stimuli (see Hsu, 2017; Losbichler and Michaels-Kim, 2017).
Other new technologies. There are other emerging technologies that will provide researchers
with still more tools. They will offer opportunities for hybrid research, real-time results, large
databases, and in-depth insights. Below are a few examples:
20
• The number of sophisticated research labs will grow and operate in both the academic and
non-academic arenas. These labs will combine state-of-the-art observational research with
survey components.
• Now that voice-activated electronic digital assistants (such as Alexa) and voice-activated
software (such as Siri) have been around for a few years, their research capabilities are
coming into wider acceptance. They can track all sorts of activities and do sentiment and
other types of content analysis. The databases are huge.
• Online conversation agents are computerized assistants that engage with customers through
real-time, popup query boxes. For the most part, these agents have been used for customer
service purposes to engage people in chats, answer questions, guide participants through
problems, and hold down costs. The consumer information stored with these agents has been
under-utilized from a research perspective. Through content analysis, researchers will be
able to determine the most prevalent consumer complaints, which products receive the most
comments, and so forth. Data analytics will benefit from such big-data analysis.
CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS ABOUT RESEARCH IN THE FUTURE
After looking at the present and trending status of online surveys, we are now ready to discuss our
own conclusions and recommendations about research in the future – with an emphasis on
prescriptive guidelines for online surveys. We cover these aspects of research: better defining
concepts, better understanding the future role of surveys, better developing and implementing
surveys, and adhering to a strong code of ethics. These topics are highlighted in Figure 2.
Figure 2 goes about here.
21
Better Defining Concepts
In particular, two areas need to be better clarified. First, in moving forward, the term “online research”
should give way to “digital research”. Online research focuses on data collected via the Internet.
However, this concept is becoming too narrow. Digital research encompasses online research – as well
as any research conducted through connected devices, GPS software, company Intranets, text
messaging, Skype and other video services, bulletin boards, high-tech research labs, and more.
Second, the concept of a “survey” is evolving. In the past, this involved asking questions of
respondents through various formats. In a traditional survey, the researcher controls the questions
and all other aspects of the methodology in data collection – sampling, question wording, answer
typologies, etc. But now, researchers must determine whether a review of user-controlled comments
can be considered as surveys. For example, if we systematically examine social media comments on
a topic or firm, are we doing a survey? And if we systematically look at reviews at Web sites such
as Amazon, are we doing a survey? Our response is yes; these are types of surveys. Here’s why.
As per Business Dictionary (2018), a survey “gathers data on attitudes, impressions, opinions,
satisfaction level, etc., by polling a section of the population”. Cambridge Dictionary (2018) notes
that a survey is used “to ask people questions in order to find out about their opinions and behavior”.
Finally, as to online surveys, Techopedia (2018b) states that:
Companies often use online surveys to gain a deeper understanding of their customers’ tastes
and opinions. Online surveys can be used in two basic ways: To provide more data on
customers, including everything from basic demographic information (age, education level, and
so on) to social data (causes, clubs, or activities the customer supports). To create a survey about
a specific product, service, or brand in order to find out how consumers are reacting to it.
For us, the biggest difference between gathering data from traditional “surveys” versus newer
formats, such as content analysis of social media comments and customer reviews at Web sites, is
22
that the former involve direct communication based on researcher-generated surveys; and the latter
entail indirect researcher-respondent communication whereby the researcher studies and compiles
user-generated content. And then the researcher inputs, categorizes, and analyzes the user-generated
data. Attitudes, intent, behavior, etc. can all be examined via user-generated content. However, with
user-generated information, there are issues regarding self-selected samples, the tendency for bipolar
commentaries (yea sayer and nay sayer effects), the lack of demographic data, and other
methodological issues. On the other hand, information may be more “real” rather than hypothetical,
comments do highlight attitudes, and comments may better pinpoint opportunities and problems than
researcher-generated data.
In sum, aren’t both traditional formats and user-generated content both consistent with the
premise of surveys – to gather data on “attitudes, impressions, opinions, satisfaction level, etc., by
polling a section of the population?” If we answer yes, we must reconfigure the way we define
“survey” to include the analysis of user-generated content. The latter can also contribute to the
knowledge base ways that traditional surveys cannot.
Here are some recent “real-life” applications of social media content analysis, as described in the
literature. They show the vast future possibilities of content analysis: social media and smoking
prevention in China (Jiang and Beaudoin, 2016), body imagery in fashion blogs (Kraus and Martins,
2017), health-related content at Reddit (Derksen et al., 2017), complaints on Twitter (Gunarathne et
al., 2017), YouTube public service announcements for healthy eating (Zhang, 2017), content at the
PlayStation blog (Tichon and Mavin, 2017), and issues and challenges with online news portals
(Ahmad and Buyong, 2017).
Better Understanding the Future Role of Surveys
Despite the current popularity of surveys, there are questions about the importance of surveys in
looking to the future, including online surveys. How much formal survey-based research will we
23
undertake in the evolving high-tech environment in effect now, which is expected to be even more
dominant in the future? In the previous section the definition of “survey” was deconstructed to
include other methods of obtaining consumer/people’s input or feedback on given topics.
The biggest threat to the survey method is the growing access to real, inexpensive, ongoing data
through Web site analytics, tracking online behavior, monitoring the online stages in the purchase
process, studying people’s actions via the Internet of Things, and more. In looking ahead, what
should be the major role of surveys, no matter their mode of delivery?

To us, the best synopsis on the future for surveys is by Miller (2017). As he notes in his abstract:
For decades, sample surveys have provided information of value to sponsors in government,
academia, business, and the public. That value proposition is threatened now by declining
survey participation and the advent of competition from alternative data sources. In this
environment, some developments in survey practice include new thinking about how to recruit
respondents, new methods for applying communication technology, and new approaches to
blending survey and non-survey data. Going forward, survey data may increasingly be one
component of information products, formed from various sources, including administrative
records and unstructured (“big”) data. [p. 205]
And he addresses the premise of blending data sources:
The future of surveys likely will involve more commingling of the data they produce with
information from other sources. This trend will be propelled in part by the study of
administrative records for policy analysis. The U.S. decennial Census has relied for decades on
a combination of questionnaire self-reports and in-person non-response follow-up interviews to
enumerate the population. These methods have become increasingly costly, leading to the
examination of alternatives. Current plans for the 2020 Census involve using administrative data
(e.g., tax filing information, health records) to reduce the nonresponse follow-up workload and
enumerate some households without conducting interviews. [p. 209]
Next, let’s look at two additional valuable observations about the future of the survey method.
These views are illustrative of what is being discussed in the current literature:
Sometimes, we as survey methodologists fall into the trap of thinking that surveys are the only
possible tool. We also get caught up in building the perfect tool, and forget that the tools are not
a goal in themselves, but are used for a purpose. Our job is to make better tools, to give the users
a range of tools to use in their work, and to guide them in which tool is best for which job. The
ultimate goal is to use the tools to make sense of the world around us and, in doing so, help to
make a better world. [Couper, 2013, p. 154]
24
A rising chorus is asserting that polls are passé. They claim public opinion, consumer behaviors,
and other sociopolitical outcomes can be better measured (less expensively, more quickly, more
easily) by the analysis of Internet usage in general and of social media in particular, by the data
mining of administrative databases (including the merging of disparate information sources
through such techniques as data fusion), or by a combination of these alternatives to traditional
surveys. The low cost of mined data is often touted in contrast to the high and rising cost of
traditional survey research. Another attractive aspect of social media and other Internet analysis
is its speed. Others emphasize the ease of amassing Internet data: that it can be compiled
routinely, even automatically, and it can be more easily accessed. [Smith, 2013, p. 219]
Finally, the future of survey research also depends on the researcher’s ability to generate
informative, actionable big data. Many more firms will insist on this. Already, there is a developing
literature base on this topic. Illustrations include: big data, brand marketing, and social innovation
(Calder et al., 2016), the risks of repurposing big data (Clarke, 2016), uses of big data in survey
research (AAPOR Task Force, 2015), better customer data in real time (Macdonald et al., 2013), and
bringing big data to life (Etheridge, 2016).
Table 2 shows our conclusions and recommendations as to the future role of survey research,
based on a detailed review of the existing literature. Here are several of the sources that we consulted
that offer insights on this topic: Bansal et al. (2017), Cooke and Buckley (2008), Couper (2017),
Dillman (2015), GreenBook (2017), Kennedy et al. (2016), Link et al. (2014), National Science
Foundation (2012), Pew Research Center (2018b), Statista (2017), Stipp (2016), and Žák (2015).
Better Developing and Implementing Surveys
An ongoing problem with survey research – especially online survey research – is the lack of
consistency in survey methodology. There are no uniformly accepted guidelines. And this greatly
contributes to the varying quality of surveys. “Quick and dirty” is not an acceptable way to conduct
survey research if the goal is meaningful results.
25
As the American Association for Public Opinion Research (AAPOR) (2012) states:
Today’s practitioners and consumers of survey data are exposed to a wide array of
methodologies, each with its own challenges. Many users of survey data are skeptical of
contemporary survey methods, whether new, innovative approaches or more traditional ones.
Innovators are taking advantage of the growth in new technologies, exploring new data sources,
and experimenting with new methods. And while a well-designed and carefully executed survey
still can deliver valid and reliable results, methods and details matter more than ever.
Furthermore, the full details of the methodology employed always need to be stated – so
researchers can judge the validity of surveys conducted by others. The well-respected Pew Research
Center (2017) is a good example of a source that provides methodology details:
The American Trends Panel, created by Pew Research Center, is a nationally representative
panel of randomly selected U.S. adults who are recruited from landline and cellphone random-
digit dial surveys. The panelists participate via monthly self-administered Web surveys. Those
panelists who do not have Internet access are provided with a tablet and wireless Internet
connection. The panel is being managed by Abt Associates. Members of the panel were
recruited from several large, national landline and cellphone random-digit dial surveys in
English and Spanish. At the end of each survey, respondents were invited to join the panel.
Table 3 shows our conclusions and recommendations as to the methodology of future survey
research, based on a detailed review of the literature. Our intent is to present an overall set of survey
methodology principles – in sequential order – that apply to the majority of online surveys. Here are
several of the sources we consulted on this topic: American Association for Public Opinion Research
(2018), Bastard (2012), Cho et al. (2011), Constant Contact (2018), Courtright (2015), Fazekas et al.
(2014), Galesic and Bosniak (2009), Interactive Marketing Research Organization (2015), National
Science Foundation (2012, pp. 6-11), PeoplePulse (2011), Singh et al. (2009), Smyth et al. (2009),
Sue and Ritter (2012), Vannette (2015), Wong (2016), and Wouters et al. (2014).
26
Abiding by a Strong Code of Ethics
Earlier, it was noted that many respondents and potential respondents do not trust survey
researchers. They think survey practices are unethical (and dishonest). To overcome this view, a
strong code of ethics must be adhered to by both academic and non-academic survey practitioners.
Why is a survey research ethics code so important? According to Resnik (2014):
Ethics are norms for conduct that distinguish between acceptable and unacceptable behavior.
They promote the aims of research, such as knowledge, truth, and error avoidance. They promote
values essential for collaborative work, such as trust, accountability, mutual respect, and fairness.
They mean researchers can be accountable for conflicts of interest, misconduct, and research
with humans or animals. They ensure that the public can trust research quality and integrity.
To illustrate, the Pew Research Center (2018c) can again be cited for its ethical performance:
Independence, objectivity, accuracy, rigor, humility, transparency, and innovation are

indispensable to the mission and success of Pew Research Center. To promote and preserve
these values, the Center’s code of ethics includes the following topics: conflicts of interest,
prohibitions on electioneering, and integrity of research.
It is also imperative that researchers comply with any new regulations related to privacy on the
Internet. And that may not be easy to do in the always evolving and complex digital world. For
example, the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) went into effect in
May 2018. As reported by eMarketer (2018):
All multinational firms will have to comply with the General Data Protection Regulation, which
governs consumer data collection, storage, and usage practices. But many companies remain
unsure about what they need to do. The legislation, which is designed to give consumers in the
EU more control over their personal data, lays out requirements and will impose potentially
devastating fines on companies with poor data-handling practices or that experience data
breaches in which they are found at fault. Regulations may be limited to the personal data of
consumers residing in the EU, but they apply to any company handling, transmitting, or storing
that data, whether it has a physical location in the EU or not.
Table 4 shows our conclusions and recommendations about having a strong code of survey
research ethics, based on a detailed literature review. Our intent is to present a comprehensive set of
27
ethical principles to adopt in conducting survey research and analyzing data. Here are several of the
sources that were consulted for information on this topic: AAPOR (2015), Barchard and Williams
(2008), Buchanan and Zimmer (2018), CASRO (2013), ESOMAR (2011), European
Pharmaceutical Market Research Association (EphMRA) (2018), Markham and Buchanan (2012),
MRIA (2014), and Resnik (2015).

28
Figure 1
The Strengths and Potential Weaknesses of Online Surveys

Source: Evans, J.R. and Mathur, A. (2005), “The value of online surveys”, Internet Research, Vol. 15, No. 2,
p. 197.
29
Figure 2
Considerations in Planning and Executing Future Survey Research Projects
• “Online” versus “digital” research

Better defining concepts • Broadened notion of a “survey”
• Traditional versus new kinds of surveys
• Social media content analysis
• Best uses of surveys

Better understanding the • Best uses of other forms of data collection
future role of surveys • Blended (hybrid) research formats
• In-depth coverage of the future role of
surveys (see Table 2)
• Consistency in survey methodology

Better developing and
implementing surveys • Full methodology communicated
• In-depth methodology guidelines (see
Table 3)
• Importance of an ethics code

Abiding by a strong code of • Academics and practitioners
ethics • Numerous ethical issues
• In-depth ethical guidelines (see Table 4)
30
Table 1
Selected Resources as to Online Survey Best Practices
Clear Seas Research (2015), “Best practices for conducting surveys on mobile devices”, November 1,
available at: https://goo.gl/nvjXFY.
Courvoisie, K. (2016), “Online survey best practices for surveys that get results”, January 5, available at:
https://goo.gl/XTBhtG.
Formstack (2018), “How to conduct an online survey”, available at: https://goo.gl/Qh9wo2 (accessed on
February 20).
Raymond, S. (2017), “Survey building: online survey best practices for b2b businesses”, March 7, available
at: https://goo.gl/GYK4ko.
Rimsevica, S. (2016), “Online survey design best practices – Webinar recap”, September 28, available at:
https://goo.gl/4jCQrm. [with embedded slideshow].
Survata (2018), “Survey best practices”, available at: https://goo.gl/36ue4w (accessed February 20).
SurveyGizmo (2018), “Best practices: understanding and reducing bias in your surveys”, available at:
https://help.surveygizmo.com/help/survey-bias (accessed on February 20).
SurveyMonkey (2018), “How to analyze survey results”, available at: https://goo.gl/goXXwf (accessed
February 20).
SurveyMonkey (2018), “The difference between quantitative vs. qualitative research”, available at:
https://goo.gl/ScfCQu (accessed February 20).
Usability.gov (2018), “Online surveys”, available at: https://goo.gl/YkR1CK (accessed February 20).
Ward, C. (2017), “Best practices for designing engaging customer surveys”, July 31, available at:
https://goo.gl/EajKhx.
WBA Research (2013), “Best practices in mobile survey design: the impact of mobile phones”, November
13, available at: https://goo.gl/sm5KPy.
Zarc Interactive (2018), “Considerations for deploying online survey research”, available at:
https://goo.gl/LMjkXW (accessed February 20).
Note: Lengthy URLs have been shortened using Google URL Shortener. If clicked, those URLs will open
at the sites of the original URLs.
31
Table 2
Conclusions and Recommendations as to the Future Role of Survey Research
• Academics and business professionals will have different uses for surveys. For academics, surveys will
continue to be the leading research tool. They will utilize tools such as Qualtrics, SurveyMonkey, and
other researcher-controlled online surveys. On the other hand, because they have more access to high-
tech research tools, business professionals will rely less on surveys.
• In both academic and non-academic arenas, these will be the best uses for surveys:
o To systematically study such factors as people’s attitudes, intentions, and motivation. This is vital
when researchers study why people have certain views and why they behave in a particular way.
o To get in-depth responses for qualitative research.
o To better control respondent selection and balance.
o To do longitudinal opinion research with the same respondents through consumer panels.
o To learn whether attitudes about the future prove to be correct.

o To study special topics, such as consumer sentiment, feelings about specific brands, intended brand
loyalty, feelings about the customer experience, job satisfaction, and more.
o To provide the inputs for informative, actionable big data,
• In both academic and non-academic arenas, there will be more use of tools such as online consumer
panels and high-tech eye-tracking combined with surveys. In the non-academic arena, behavioral surveys
will mostly be replaced by online tracking, Internet of Things tracking, simulations, etc.
• With regard to surveys:
o Hybrid research techniques will be more prevalent, such as tracking behavior through connected
devices combined with online surveys on attitudes and intentions. Each tool must have a clear
purpose. This will also allow more points of contact.
o Sampling issues will remain, with researchers more often deciding that random sampling is not
feasible. Data collection must be done systematically whether the researcher controls the sample and
methodology or the user controls the data and is part of a self-selected sample.
o Social media comments, reviewers, and related sources of information must be better incorporated into
survey research – and be considered a valued way of gaining insights not likely to be gathered in
traditional surveys. But, the researcher must be careful in assessing the data, since they may not be
representative and some comments may “planted” by unscrupulous parties. Also, the researcher needs
to view discussions at online communities differently than those at more general social media sites.
o A major advantage of traditional online surveys is that questions, answer categories, sequencing,
moving from one question to the next, etc. are structured. This will continue to make researcher-
controlled surveys desirable.
o Response rates for online surveys must be increased for more representative results. The lack of
Internet access by some people must be considered when sampling. Quota sampling will be a must.
o To get better quality answers and less respondent abandonment during a survey, the survey length
must be tightened up. It is unrealistic to assume that respondents will patiently answer surveys that
take more than a few minutes to complete.
o The use of photos, videos, etc. may stimulate survey participants to complete surveys and to be more
likely to participate again.
o As long as they are carefully compiled and analyzed, surveys can be an input for quantitative research.
• The growing popularity of mobile surveys should not be underestimated. These surveys must be formatted
to best fit on a smaller screen and to easily answer questions. Tools such as Qualtrics do this.
• Because many researchers want to study offline behavior, not just online behavior, surveys may be the
only format to elicit this type of data. In this instance, the best mode of survey delivery must be set by
the researcher. Thus, hybrid surveys with different possible points of contact may be desirable.
• Many researchers will use “do-it-yourself” survey tools such as SurveyMonkey, with the attendant
advantages and limitations.
32
Table 3
Conclusions and Recommendations as to the Methodology of Survey Research
1. Establish the purpose/goals of the survey before the methodology is formed. Purpose/goals give guidance
as to the best survey methodology to deploy. Where possible, include testable hypotheses and methods
based on sound theoretical foundations.
2. Set the type of survey (mode of delivery).
o Traditional online survey (researcher-generated questions)
o Non-traditional online survey (user-generated content)
o Hybrid survey
o Intranet for employee survey
3. Decide upon the sampling method, with appropriate guidelines.
o How respondents will be accessed/reached
o Random vs. non-random sampling
o Opting-in vs. opting-out

o Control of survey access so as to be available only to the chosen respondents
o Representativeness
o Utilization of panels
o Sample size and sampling error
o Non-response rates and attrition in panel membership
o Use of incentives to increase response rate
4. Determine who constructs the survey.
o Do-it-yourself
o Professional survey firm
5. Disclose the true purpose of the survey and how data will be used (transparency). Note the survey author.
6. Create questions and answer categories in a user-friendly and objective manner:
o Are all instructions clear?
o What information is requested?
Only asking questions that are necessary to fulfill survey goals
Being sure respondents are capable of answering the questions asked
Considering an opt-out policy for personal questions
Including filters to include only serious respondents
o What is the best question format?
Multiple-choice, scales, ranking, open-ended, etc. (difficulty of inputting open-ended answers on
mobile devices)
Mix of questions
Question wording (avoid bias)
Jargon-free wording
o Should multi-media question features be utilized?
Photos
Videos/animations
o How should questions be ordered?
Sequencing (logical order)
“Skip to” directions
o What are the proper answer categories?
Whether single or multiple answers should be chosen (or a mix of the two)
Mutually exclusive answer choices
Answer ranges (such as “age 45-54” in a close-ended question) vs. specific answers (such as
“how old are you” in an open-ended question)
Rotation of close-ended answers to minimize “yea sayer/nay sayer” effect
Not forcing responses (through a don’t know or other choice)
Careful coding and categorization of answers for open-ended questions
33
Table 3 (continued)
7. Devise surveys long enough to get the required information, but not so long as to affect response rates.
o Realistic survey length
o Upfront information to the respondent about the expected time to complete the survey
8. Use an appealing survey design that encourages survey completion. Assure respondents of anonymity.
o Ease of navigation
o Accessible layout and font size, with adaptation to screen size for mobile surveys (drop-down menus
harder for respondents with mobile devices)
o Standardization of design across multiple surveys with the same respondents/panelists
o Including a progress bar to indicate the percentage of survey completion
9. When possible, pre-test the survey to pinpoint any weaknesses that should be corrected.
10. Determine who administers the survey, collects the collect information, and analyzes the data.
o Researcher-controlled
o Firm such as Qualtrics or SurveyMonkey
o Other
11. Establish a time frame for all aspects of a survey research project, including data collection.
12. After the survey, preserve the raw data in an electronic file to be able to verify results.
13. Use data analytics appropriate for the given survey. And provide analysis based on study goals (and
hypotheses, if utilized).
o Quantitative results
o Qualitative results
14. In any publication arising from the survey, acknowledge study limitations and offer recommendations for
further research. And maintain respondent confidentiality in reporting results.
15. Act upon the findings. Do not conduct a survey that does not increase the knowledge base or does not
lead to a change in an organization’s strategy or tactics.
Special Considerations for Non-Traditional Online Surveys (User-Generated Content)
• As with other types of research, establish the purpose of the study (including hypotheses, if appropriate).
• For each project, determine the specific content areas/topics to be examined.
• Carefully select the online source of information, such as reviews at Amazon or comments at a company
Facebook page.
• Read a number of reviews and/or comments on the topic(s). Then set up questions upon which to focus
(such as “On Twitter, what are tweeters saying about the prices of product x?” and “At Amazon, what
are the main reasons for negative customer reviews about product x?”)
• Set a time frame for content to be included in the study (such as the last three months).
• Collect enough comments to provide a good cross-section of responses.
• Results can be treated qualitatively and/or quantitatively.
• Engage in longitudinal analysis to learn about shifting attitudes and intentions.
• Use other methods to obtain information about demographics and other personal data.
• Recognize both the advantages and limitations of this type of content analysis.
• Act upon the findings. Do not conduct research that does not increase the knowledge base or lead to a
change in an organization’s strategy or tactics.
34
Table 4
Conclusions and Recommendations about Abiding by a Strong Code of Ethics
• Abiding by strong codes of ethics will help researchers gain greater trust among all constituencies.
• All laws regarding privacy, data security, vulnerable groups, personally-identifiable information, etc.
must be followed. These laws may differ by country or state. [Global and European firms must
understand and adapt to the EU’s stringent new GDPR – General Data Protection Regulation.]
• The concept of ethics differs by culture and geographic region. However, this does not mean that survey
practices widely known as unethical are ever acceptable.
• The researcher should always commit to a high level of integrity, independence, objectivity, and
transparency – and be qualified to carry out a research project.
• When respondents are asked to participate in a survey, that survey should not involve “sugging”, which
is selling under the guise of research. Ads should not appear during the survey process.
• The researcher’s identity should be clear. If there is a sponsor, that should be noted.
• Special care should be taken with disguised surveys.
• Survey participation should be voluntary.
o Potential respondents should not be aggressively pursued to participate.
o Respondents should only asked about subjects for which they are competent to answer.
o Respondents should be able to withdraw from answering survey questions at any point.
• Respondents should be asked for their informed consent before completing a survey.
o If tracking is to be done, this must be known and approved by the respondent.
o If cookies are placed on respondent devices, they should be temporary in nature and used only for
the specific survey undertaken.
o Active agent technology and required software downloads must be used judiciously, and tied to
informed consent.
o Care should be taken in using vulnerable people as respondents.
• Personal data should be securely collected and stored, and cookies used with care.
o Individual responses should be treated confidentially. Personal identifiers should not be included in a
survey’s database. Personally-identifiable information should be kept separate from survey
responses; and such data should be maintained by code numbers rather than be stored by name.
o The https designation should be utilized with all online surveys.
o If panels are used, respondents must be informed that data are stored and reviewed longitudinally,
and given the opportunity to opt out of surveys and drop off the panel (for any reason).
o Access to survey materials must be restricted, and identifiable information never sold to third parties..
• Expected survey duration (completion time) should be fairly estimated and told to respondents upfront.
• Both questions and answer choices should be presented in an objective manner to reduce bias.
o The researcher must weigh the trade-off between response rate and potential respondent bias due to
incentives to participate.
o If incentives are given, they should be small in nature (and their use noted in reporting results).
• The validity and value of survey results should not be overstated, especially as to the representative
nature of the findings.
o Ethical standards must apply to both quantitative and qualitative surveys.
o Where possible, sampling should include those without access to the Internet.
o Computer literacy may be an issue in surveys of respondents in less-developed countries.
• The use of the proper statistical techniques must be tied to the quality and types of data collected.
• In presenting survey results, analysis should be objective and based on the whole data set – and not
distorted to misrepresent the findings.
• When issuing press releases or otherwise publicizing results, methodologies should be detailed.
• Clients should be treated in the same ethical manner as survey respondents – honestly and transparently.
• Backup records should be maintained so as to verify findings.
35
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Biographies:
Joel R. Evans, Ph.D., is the RMI Distinguished Professor at the Zarb School of Business, Hofstra
University, New York. He is author or co-author of numerous scholarly journal articles, including
two published in Internet Research. He serves on the editorial board of Industrial Marketing
43
Management, a leading business journal. Dr. Evans is co-author of Marketing in the 21st Century,
12e and co-author of Retail Management: A Strategic Approach, 13e. He has a popular marketing
blog, “Evans on Marketing” (www.evansonmarketing.com), with about 1,800 posts and a global
audience.
Anil Mathur, Ph.D., is the Brodlieb Distinguished Professor of Business and Chairperson of the
Marketing and International Business Department at the Frank G. Zarb School of Business, Hofstra
University, New York. He is co-author of Baby Boomers and their Parents: Surprising Findings
about Their Lifestyles and Well-Being (Paramount Publishing) and The Maturing Marketplace:
Buying Habits of Baby Boomers and their Parents (Quorum Books). Dr. Mathur has also authored
or co-authored over 100 articles and papers that have been published in scholarly journals and
conference proceedings.
44
Figure 1
The Strengths and Potential Weaknesses of Online Surveys

Source: Evans, J.R. and Mathur, A. (2005), “The value of online surveys,” Internet Research, Vol. 15, No. 2,
p. 197.
[NOTE: THERE SHOULD BE AN ELECTRONIC VERSION OF THIS FILE AVAILABLE FROM

THE PUBLISHER]
Figure 2
Considerations in Planning and Executing Future Survey Research Projects
• “Online” versus “digital” research

Better defining concepts • Broadened notion of a “survey”
• Traditional versus new kinds of surveys
• Social media content analysis
• Best uses of surveys

Better understanding the • Best uses of other forms of data collection
future role of surveys • Blended (hybrid) research formats
• In-depth coverage of the future role of
surveys (see Table 2)
• Consistency in survey methodology

Better developing and
implementing surveys • Full methodology communicated
• In-depth methodology guidelines (see
Table 3)
• Importance of an ethics code

Abiding by a strong code of • Academics and practitioners
ethics • Numerous ethical issues
• In-depth ethical guidelines (see Table 4)

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Internet Research

The value of online surveys: a look back and a look ahead

*Related content and download information correct at time of download.

conclusions and recommendations are presented.

in technology, including the Internet of Things.

weaknesses of online surveys, and a directory of online survey services.

best practices, and online survey firms.

The Growth of Online Surveys

among academic researchers and practitioners.

general and online surveys more specifically need to be considered.

digital/electronic” separately. Statista (2017a), based on ESOMAR data, separates “online

quantitative/research”, “automated digital/electronic surveys”, “mobile/smartphone online

quantitative research”, and “online research communities” in noting their usage.

online surveys. This report is published free on a regular basis.

online/mobile – up from 19 percent in 2005.

firms. Then, we will look at future possibilities.

The Strengths and Weaknesses of Online Surveys

of these factors have evolved over the past thirteen years.

Figure 1 goes about here.

automatic logic control, branching, randomization of questions, and assignment of respondents to

experimental conditions. In addition, the programs provide flexibility in restricting/eliminating

Technological innovations continue to influence and improve online research. It is estimated

communications and multiple sensors/technologies available in mobile devices enable researchers

mobile devices to participate in online surveys (GreenBook, 2017).

mail or telephone surveys.

Required or forced completion of survey questions is often an advantage. Although some

consideration may be needed for sensitive topics.

Go to capabilities. Logical trees – whereby respondents are automatically directed to specific

more advanced and capable. Randomization of assignment of participants to specific experimental

conditions or in response to specific questions is also possible.

survey (Jin, 2011).

methods, contact delivery modes, pre-notification, design of invitation, and incentives.

Research on Online Surveys

following sections are theoretical in nature.]:

• Total survey error paradigm (Biemer, 2010; Ha et al., 2015)

• Validity of different scales in online surveys (Revilla and Ochoa, 2015)

(Kilinç and Firat 2017)

• Respondent conditioning with online panel surveys (Struminskaya, 2016)

the recent literature on data quality. These are some examples:

• Validating customer profile data (Park et al., 2012)

• Online consumer review credibility (Cheung et al., 2012)

• Online conflict of interest disclosures (Jensen and Yetgin, 2017)

Christian, 2009; Scholz and Zuell, 2012)

• Data quality and sampling techniques (Dutwin and Buslirk, 2017)

• Carelessness in answering online surveys (Ward et al., 2017)

• Effects of topic sensitivity on data quality (Roster et al., 2017)

2006), and paper versus online surveys (Schneider, 2015).

Okazaki, 2007), and extracting social behavior (Palaghias et al., 2016).

2017), and mode effects on answers (Vannieuwenhuyze et al., 2010).

also required. As Clarke (2016, p. 77) observes:

False information from respondents. A mounting problem involves respondents who

(Durr and Smith, 2017).

Online Survey Best Practices

Table 1 goes about here.

Online Survey Firms

Experian, the credit-monitoring firm.

conclusions and recommendations.

Emerging Online Survey Technologies and Methodologies

further advances as tools evolve.

as paid freelancers, while others perform small tasks on a voluntary basis”.

www.mturk.com) was established in 2005, with a platform to crowdsource participants in a more

have emerged – even in such languages as Japanese (see https://crowdworks.jp).

specific guidelines to deal with these limitations.