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Risk of Nonresponse Bias and the Length of the Field Period in a Mixed-Mode General Population Panel
[journal article]
Abstract Survey researchers are often confronted with the question of how long to set the length of the field period. Longer fielding time might lead to greater participation yet requires survey managers to devote more of their time to data collection efforts. With the aim of facilitating the decision about ... view more
Survey researchers are often confronted with the question of how long to set the length of the field period. Longer fielding time might lead to greater participation yet requires survey managers to devote more of their time to data collection efforts. With the aim of facilitating the decision about the length of the field period, we investigated whether a longer fielding time reduces the risk of nonresponse bias to judge whether field periods can be ended earlier without endangering the performance of the survey. By using data from six waves of a probability-based mixed-mode (online and mail) panel of the German population, we analyzed whether the risk of nonresponse bias decreases over the field period by investigating how day-by-day coefficients of variation develop during the field period. We then determined the optimal cut-off points for each mode after which data collection can be terminated without increasing the risk of nonresponse bias and found that the optimal cut-off points differ by mode. Our study complements prior research by shifting the perspective in the investigation of the risk of nonresponse bias to panel data as well as to mixed-mode surveys, in particular. Our proposed method of using coefficients of variation to assess whether the risk of nonresponse bias decreases significantly with each additional day of fieldwork can aid survey practitioners in finding the optimal field period for their mixed-mode surveys.... view less
Keywords
survey research; survey; online survey; mail survey; panel; response behavior; data capture
Classification
Methods and Techniques of Data Collection and Data Analysis, Statistical Methods, Computer Methods
Free Keywords
Coefficient of variation; Field duration; Mixed-mode panels; Nonresponse bias; Response propensity; ZA5665: GESIS Panel—Standard Edition, Version 19.0.0, 2017-4-18 Release 19, doi:10.4232/1.12743
Document language
English
Publication Year
2021
Page/Pages
p. 161-182
Journal
Journal of Survey Statistics and Methodology, 10 (2021) 1
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1093/jssam/smab011
ISSN
2325-0992
Status
Published Version; peer reviewed