Web Survey Solutions Often Create Their Own Barriers to Success

The Internet is having a remarkable effect on the survey and
research industry. The rapid development of surveys on the Web, is leading to the suggestion that Internet surveys may soon replace
traditional methods of survey data collection.

The relatively low cost of conducting Web surveys, makes online survey software a viable option for every person with access to the Internet. Furthermore, Web surveys allow for the delivery of multimedia survey content to Internet respondents; utilizing self-administered methods. This encourages an interactive survey experience for administrators and participants, that was not possible to implement; using traditional methods.

Accompanying the proliferation of online surveys, is a greater
risk that good and bad Web surveys; will become increasingly more
difficult, to distinguish between.  As such, the willingness of people to participate in online surveys will retard; or their responses will be formulated using content, topic, entertainment value, or other features of the Web survey software. Regrettably, the survey industry may already be seeing the effects of over surveying; resulting from the abundance of telemarketers and telephone surveys.

At the present time however, Coverage Error represents the biggest threat to online survey success.  Coverage Error is the mismatch between the Target population and the Frame population. The Target population is the desired group of persons to study, or make reference (e.g., the adult population of the United States). The Frame population is "the materials or devices which delimit, identify, and allow access to the elements of the Target population."
Examples of Frames include: residential telephone numbers, for a telephone survey; or email addresses, for Web surveys. Most notably, Coverage Error is a function of both the proportion of the Target population that is not covered by the Frame, and the difference in the survey statistic; between those covered and those not covered.

In summary, there are two recognized barriers to a successful Web survey.

1. Not every desired participant in the Target population is in the
   Frame population.
   
2. The process of selecting survey elements from a defined Frame of Web
   
   users, is highly dependent on the type of Web survey being conducted.

Although Web surveys may become increasingly easier, cheaper and quicker; a good Web survey will become increasingly harder to develop, and distribute.  In pursuit of an effective Web survey, administrators may have to conduct a preliminary survey, to determine the Target and Frame of their Web survey.  Nevertheless, the affordability of survey software solutions, allows for a plethora of surveys; on a modest budget.