Appendix B

SUMMARY OF EVIDENCE IN THE LITERATURE

Detailed information on Internet survey studies that we cite in this report is presented in Table B.1. 1 Some of the studies have multiple study arms, each of which is listed in a separate row in the table. Each study arm corresponds to a different experimental setting. For example, one arm of a study might use postal mail exclusively for contacting individuals, while another might use e-mail to invite individuals to participate in a survey that is done on the Web. We classified the survey samples into census, random (or probability), and convenience samples. Depending on who the target population is, a sample may be classified as either random or convenience. For example, a random sample of participants in an Internet newsgroup for dentists would count as a convenience sample if the population of inference is all dentists in the United States (including those who do not participate in the Internet newsgroup). Contact modes are classified as mail, phone, e-mail, newsgroup postings, traditional advertising (such as through newspapers or magazines), Web site advertising (such as hyperlinks in prominent Web sites), or Web. ______________
1Some unpublished studies that we cited are omitted from the table because of limited information.

95

96

Table B.1 Evidence Table for Survey Studies Cited in This Report

Year 2001 3,500 a 13,034 Convenience E-mail a 1,699 Random 14,150 Random Phone Web Random E-mail Web

Primary Author Couper

Sample Size 3,500

Type of Sample Random

Contact Mode Mail

Response Follow-up Mode Mode Mail Mail E-mail

Response Rate (%) 41 62 N/A

2001

2001

Target Population University of Michigan students University of Michigan students U.S. adults

2001

U.S. adults

Phone

Phone

45.6

Conducting Research Surveys via E-Mail and the Web

2001

College students and college-bound students

Mail

Mail + Web

Mail

20.8

2001

RAND employees

1,298

Census

E-mail

Web

E-Mail

44

2000

Survey Topic Drug and alcohol use Couper Drug and alcohol use Berrens Attitudes on the environment Berrens Attitudes on the environment Asch Enlistment propensity in the military under different scenarios Everingham Balancing work and personal life Paolo Curriculum evaluation Fourth-year medical students 61 Census E-mail E-mail

24

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Table B.1Continued

Year 2000 Quigley 7,209 Random Mail Mail + Web Mail

Primary Author Paolo

Sample Size 83

Type of Sample Census

Contact Mode Mail

Response Follow-up Mode Mode Mail Mail

Response Rate (%) 41 37

2000

2000

Quigley

21,805

Random

Mail

Mail + Web

Mail

42

2000

Quigley

7,279

Random

Mail

Mail

Mail

40

2000

Schleyer

Survey Topic Target Population Curriculum Fourth-year medical evaluation students N/A Active-duty personnel, military spouses, civilians, reserve members N/A Active-duty personnel, military spouses, civilians, reserve members N/A Active-duty personnel, military spouses, civilians, reserve members Clinical Dentists practice 438 Convenience E-mail E-mail N/A N/A Convenience Convenience E-mail E-mail Web + e-mail + fax Web Web

74.2

2000 Taylor

Taylor

N/A N/A

Summary of Evidence in the Literature

2000

Political U.S. population approval 1998 U.S U.S. population election for 23 governors and 14 senators

97

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Table B.1Continued

Year 2000

Primary Author Witte Target Population U.S. adults age 16 and over

Sample Type of Size Sample 32,688 Convenience

Contact Mode Webb

Response Follow-up Mode Mode Web

Response Rate (%) N/A

1999

Couper

4,187

Census

Mail

Mail

Mixed

70.7

1999

Couper

4,066

Census

E-mail

E-mail

Mixed

42.6

1999 Flemming Jones Jones Jones Kaye Uses of Web for political information N/A Health 200 Health 100 Health 200 Random Random Random Convenience Election N/A Convenience

Flemming

Survey Topic Social science: geographic mobility, community Organizational climate Organizational climate Election N/A Convenience E-mail E-mail E-mail Mail E-mail Newsgroup postings Web Web Web Mail E-mail Web

N/A N/A 19 72 34

1999

Conducting Research Surveys via E-Mail and the Web

1999

1999

1999

1999

Employees of five U.S. federal agencies Employees of five U.S. federal agencies Anyone visiting the PEW Web site Anyone in prior PEW phone interview Staff at ten universities Staff at ten universities Staff at ten universities Anyone browsing the Web

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Table B.1Continued

Year 1999

Primary Author Sheehan Target Population Individuals with personal e-mail accounts

Sample Size 5,000

Type of Sample Random

Contact Mode E-mail

Response Follow-up Mode Mode Mail + E-mail e-mail

Response Rate (%) 24

1999

Sheehan

Creators of healthrelated Web sites University faculty, staff, and students 585 Random 580 Random E-mail

834

Random

E-mail

Mail + e-mail Mail + e-mail

E-mail

47

1999

Sheehan

e-mail

47

1999

Shermis

Mail

Mail

36

1999

Shermis

585

Random

E-mail

E-mail

30

1999 Vehovar

Vehovar

N/A N/A

Convenience Random

E-mail Phone

Web Phone

N/A N/A

Summary of Evidence in the Literature

1999

Survey Topic Attitudes and behaviors associated with on-line privacy Health Web site purpose and funding Attitudes toward online privacy Telecommunications needs of educators Telecommunications needs of educators Electronic commerce Electronic commerce Members of the National Council on Measurement in Education Members of the National Council on Measurement in Education All Internet users in Slovenia All Internet users in Slovenia

99

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Table B.1Continued

Year 1999

Primary Author Zhang

Sample Size 201

Type of Sample Census

Contact Mode E-mail

Response Follow-up Mode Mode Mail + Mixed Web + fax

Response Rate (%) 77.6

1998

Dillman

9,522

Random

Phone

Web

E-mail

41.1

Conducting Research Surveys via E-Mail and the Web

1998

Dillman

2,466

Random

Phone

Web

E-mail

36.3

1998

Nichols

50

Convenience

Mail

Mail + Web

Mixed

94

1998

Nichols

Survey Topic Target Population Scholarly Researchers with inpaper press papers to be submissions published in eight library science journals Past Web sites Purchasers of visited, computer products lifestyles, behavior (plain Web page design) Past Web sites Purchasers of visited, computer products lifestyles, behavior (fancy Web page design) Economic Large commercial data of large U.S. companies commercial firms Economic Large commercial data of large U.S. companies commercial firms 2,552 Census Mail Mail Mixed

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Table B.1Continued

Year 1998

Primary Author Schaefer

Sample Size 226

Type of Sample Census

Contact Mode E-mail

Response Follow-up Mode Mode Mail + E-mail e-mail E-mail E-mail

Response Rate (%) 58

1998

N/A

Census

E-mail

48

1998

N/A

Census

E-mail

E-mail

Mail

54

1998

226

Census

Mail

Mail

Mail

57.5

1998 110 a

Convenience Traditional advertising Convenience

Web

0.18

1998 67 a

Web

1.68

Summary of Evidence in the Literature

1998 51

Survey Topic Target Population N/A Permanent faculty of Washington State University Schaefer N/A Permanent faculty of Washington State University Schaefer N/A Permanent faculty of Washington State University Schaefer N/A Permanent faculty of Washington State University Schillewaert Attitudes Flemish Web users toward the Web Schillewaert Attitudes Flemish Web users toward the Web Schillewaert Attitudes Flemish Web users toward the Web Newsgroup postings Convenience Web site advertising Web

0.68

101

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Table B.1Continued

Year 1998

Target Population Flemish Web users

Sample Type of Size Sample a Convenience 125 a Convenience Census E-mail Fax Mixed Web E-mail

Contact Mode E-mail

Response Follow-up Mode Mode Web

Response Rate (%) 31

1997 80 276

N/A N/A

1997

Drug dealers worldwide Health educators

1997

Internet users

8,859

Convenience

E-mail

Web

25

1996

Business school deans and chairpersons Business school deans and chairpersons 3,700 names and addresses purchased from Internet magazine in the UK 1,221 244 Census

244

Random

Mail

Mail

65.6

Conducting Research Surveys via E-Mail and the Web

1996

E-mail

E-mail

52.5

1996

Primary Author Survey Topic Schillewaert Attitudes toward the Web Coomber Drug dealer practices Kittleson Health educator certification Swoboda Future risks for the planet and mankind Bachman Total quality management in higher education Bachman Total quality management in higher education Comley Early adopters of technology Convenience E-mail E-mail E-mail

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Table B.1Continued

Year 1996

Primary Author Comley

Sample Type of Size Sample 1,779 Convenience

Contact Mode Mail

Response Follow-up Mode Mode Mail

Response Rate (%) 18

1995

Kittleson

153

Census

Mail

Mail

76.5

1995

Kittleson

153

Census

E-mail

E-mail

28.1

1995

Mehta

60

Random

E-mail

E-mail

40

1995

Mehta

202

Random

Mail

E-mail

45

Summary of Evidence in the Literature

1995

Mehta

Survey Topic Target Population Early adopters 3,700 names and of technology addresses purchased from Internet magazine in the UK Trivial Health educators in questions for a small professional health association educators Trivial Health educators questions for listed in an e-mail health directory educators Internet Active U.S. users of communiBBS newsgroups cation Internet Active U.S. users of communiBBS newsgroups cation Internet Active U.S. users of communiBBS newsgroups cation 107 Random Mail Mail Mail

83

103

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Table B.1Continued

Year 1995

Primary Author Mehta

Sample Size 172

Type of Sample Random

Contact Mode E-mail

Response Rate (%) 64

1995

Mehta

122

Random

E-mail

63

1995

Tse

200

Census

Mail

Response Follow-up Mode Mode Mail + E-mail e-mail + fax Mail + E-mail e-mail + fax Mail Mail

27

Conducting Research Surveys via E-Mail and the Web

1995

Tse

200

Census

E-mail

E-mail

1995

Werner

1,200

Random

E-mail

E-mail

N/A

1994

Schuldt

Survey Topic Target Population Internet International users communiof BBS newsgroups cation Internet Active U.S. users of communiBBS newsgroups cation Business Administrative and ethics teaching staff at Chinese University of Hong Kong with listed e-mail addresses Business Administrative and ethics teaching staff at Chinese University of Hong Kong with listed e-mail addresses Presidential General population approval in the U.S. rating Attitudes MIS and marketing toward faculty in shareware membership directories 200 Census Mail Mail

19.3

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Table B.1Continued

Year 1994

Primary Author Schuldt

Sample Size 218

Type of Sample Census

Contact Mode E-mail

Response Follow-up Mode Mode E-mail

Response Rate (%) 56.5

1992

Parker

40

Census

E-mail

Mail

38

1992

Parker

100

Census

E-mail

E-mail

68

Summary of Evidence in the Literature

1992

Walsh

Survey Topic Target Population Attitudes MIS and marketing toward faculty in shareware membership directories Expatriation Former AT&T and employees repatriation Expatriation Former AT&T and employees repatriation Scientific Subscribers to the activities Ocean Division of with SCIENCEnet computer networks 300 Random E-mail Mail + e-mail E-mail

76

105

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Table B.1Continued

Year 1992

Primary Author Walsh

Sample Type of Size Sample 104 Convenience

Contact Mode Mixed

Response Follow-up Mode Mode Mail + e-mail

Response Rate (%) N/A

1986

Kiesler

75

Random

E-mail

E-mail

Phone

67

1986

Kiesler

Survey Topic Target Population Scientific Subscribers to the activities Ocean Division of with SCIENCEnet computer networks Health and Recently active personal computer mail characterusers at Carnegie istics Mellon University Health and Recently active personal computer mail characterusers at Carnegie istics Mellon University 75 Random Mail Mail Phone

75

Conducting Research Surveys via E-Mail and the Web

aNumber of responses. bTraditional and Web site advertising.

N/A = Not available. = Not applicable.

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