Relevance & Research Question
While a sequential, push-to-web mode sequence is very well established in survey research and commonly used in survey practice, many large-scale social surveys still prefer to contact older target persons with a concurrent design, offering a paper questionnaire alongside a web-based questionnaire from the first letter onwards. In this presentation, we compare the performance of a sequential design with a concurrent design for target persons older than 60 years. We analyse response rates and compare the sample compositions and distributions in key items within resulting net samples. Ultimately, we aim to investigate whether we can push older respondents to the web and whether a paper questionnaire is still required for this age group.
Methods & Data
Data stems from the 10th Round of the European Social Survey (ESS) carried out in self-completion modes (CAWI/PAPI) in 2021. In Germany, a mode choice sequence experiment was implemented for all target persons older than 60 years. 50% of this group was invited with a push-to-web approach, offering a paper questionnaire in the third mailing. The control group was invited with a concurrent mode sequence, offering both modes from the beginning on.
Results
Results shows similar response rates for the concurrent design and the sequential design (AAPOR RR2: 38.4% vs. 37.3%). This difference is not statistically significant. In the concurrent group, 21% of the respondents answered the questionnaire online, while in the sequential group this was the case for 50% of all respondents. The resulting net samples are very comparable. Looking at various demographic, socio-economic, attitudinal, and behavioural items, no significant differences were found. In contrast, elderly respondents answering online are younger, more often male, much better educated, economically better off, more politically interested, or more liberal towards immigrants than their peers answering the paper questionnaire.
Added Value
Online questionnaires are considered as not fully appropriate for surveying the older population. This research shows that a higher share of this group can be pushed to the web without negative effects for response rate or sample composition. However, a paper questionnaire is still required for improving the sample composition.