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The Effects of Pushing Web in a Mixed-Mode Establishment Data Collection
Chris Ellis
RTI International
Kim Aspinwall
RTI International
Todd Heinrich
RTI International
Scott Ginder
RTI International
Hope Smiley McDonald
RTI International
Margaret Noonan
Bureau of Justice Statistics
Mixed-mode data collection is increasingly becoming a standard in survey research methods, especially when inclusion of Web-based data collection is anticipated to increase data quality. However, offering the respondent the choice of mode can lead to unintended results, such as increased complexity or lower response rates. Although "pushing" a particular mode (e.g., Web) may increase use, it risks lowering overall response rates. Thus, there often exists a tension concerning whether, when, and how to transition ongoing collections to a mixed-mode methodology when its origins are single-mode, such as paper form or questionnaire. The Deaths in Custody Reporting Program (DCRP), a data collection measuring inmate mortality, began in 2000. Authorized by Congress and funded by the Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS), the DCRP collects data on the circumstances surrounding deaths occurring in state prisons and local jails. RTI International and BJS embedded a methodological experiment within the 2012 mailing to test the effects of concurrently offering multiple modes, but with a "push" of the Web option for some respondents.