Dealing With Extremely Long Response Lists in a Mixed-Mode Survey Environment
Abstract:
In some surveys, respondents are confronted with selecting a response from an extremely long list of response options. For example, in the National Survey of College Graduates (NSCG) mail survey, respondents are asked to select the job code that best describes their work from a long list of job codes (listed on a different page) that are categorized and arranged alphabetically to facilitate easy selection. While various aspects of the findings from this survey have been published, for instance, the effect of previously sent token incentives on subsequent contact rates (see Dillman (2007), page 241), little is known about the measurement error aspect of using extremely long response lists. In this study, we analyze the data from a survey conducted by the Gallup Panel that asked mail respondents to write the codes of their three favorite stores for clothing and accessories shopping by referring to a full-page three-column list of retail store codes. Web respondents selected their favorite stores from a drop-down menu. First, we investigate the reporting rate and various patterns of responses to this question, followed by an analysis to detect response-order effect. We discuss the findings from the study and conclude with recommendations for future research.
Recommended Citation:
Rao, K., Lee, G., & Ball, D. (2009). Dealing With Extremely Long Response Lists in a Mixed-Mode Survey Environment. Paper presented at the Midwest Association for Public Opinion Research, Chicago.
Attached Documents:
- MAPOR 2009 Program (see page #3 for the mention)
- For a copy of this paper, please send me a comment with your email address in the box below.