Mode Differences: The Impact of Visual Questionnaire Design Issues (303309)

Keywords: mixed mode effects, questionnaire design, visual aspects

Mixed mode data collection in survey research among the general population has become more widespread as an efficient and effective data collection strategy with respect to minimizing costs, stable response rates and equal data quality. In recent years, Statistics Netherlands has redesigned a number of household and business surveys to incorporate mixed mode data collection, including web data collection.

This presentation focuses on specific questionnaire design aspects with respect to interviewer and noninterviewer modes. Examples from a number of surveys will be shown to illustrate how mode differences in variables can be explained from visual and aural questionnaire design issues, independent from selection effects. Recommendations on an optimal uni-mode or a mode-specific questionnaire design approach will be reflected on.