Since the end of the nineties INFO Research International carries out more and more Online surveys (CAWI – a self completion questinnaire shown online).
This method has got increasing importance in the whole market research industry and is – in the US and Europe -  nowadays the third established research method besides Telephone and Personal interviews. With more than 2/3 of Austrian population having internet-access and Access-panels with several ten thousand panelists „close to representative“ samples are possible – although one always has to consider that the group of people without internet is still not covered. Another argument one always should consider is that online research is based on self completion questionnaires. This also confines the accessible population, as experience shows that people with lower education level, many foreign or older persons are rarely accessible – the barriers are too high.

Therefore for every single project one should ask whether it makes sense to carry out the survey online. A decision purely based on cheap prices and quick timings can be a serious mistake. On the contrary, some target groups may be available online even better than with “conventional” methods, please think of Teens, IT-affine or Business samples, especially e.g. client samples that are distributed across several countries.

Despite all the quality concerns from scientists and clients (which we from INFO Research International share) CAWI has made its way because of attractive prices and short fieldwork timings. This can be seen on the growing number of access-panels. A (temporary) exception are the Eastern European countries, as internet penetration currently is still too low. 

Of course CAWI-surveys have increased quality over time, based on more experience of panellists, technical developments and the much higher number of panelists. The biggest panel-providers in the world nowadays have access to a few million participants. Moreover, the simple fact that clients strive for higher sample sizes (as cost for field is lower) implies a quality increase. 

INFO Research International puts its focus – as with all other sorts of data collection (CAPI, CATI) on a high quality offer and methodological correct approaches. Together with our panel-partner Lightspeed Research (www.lightspeedresearch.com) we stick to especially high quality standards, starting with the recruitment of the panelists, the carrying out of the survey to the technical standards.

We would be pleased to show you these quality criteria. Please contact us – we are happy to advise you!

As a registered client you can also download related documents in our client area – for registration please send a short message to: office(at)info-ri.at

Which types of Online-research are currently used?

CAWI-survey with Online-Access-Panel
Is the currently most common CAWI survey: The questionnaire is programmed as a web-based application, data are collected on a database lying behind. The respondents are recruited out of a pool of persons (Online-Access-Panel), whereas more than one panel can be used as well. The respondents are invited via email and get a small incentive for their participation.

Advantages: cost-efficient, quick fieldwork possible, easy handling even for larger sample sizes, longer questionnaires (up to the length of CATI-questionnaires) possible, international projects can be co-ordinated centrally, certain special target groups can be found more easily, multimedia-based contents can be shown.
Disadvantages: restricted representativeness of sample, lower field quality control possibilities, complexity of questions is limited as questionnaire is self-completion. 

CAWI-survey with „closed“ target group
Here the questionnaire is programmed web-based with data collection in a database lying behind. The target group is exactly fixed, e.g. clients of a company, which are invited to evaluate this company (and its competitors) by means of an online-questionnaire.

Advantages: cost-efficient and quick fieldwork, even with rather small samples; fieldwork can be extended to several countries or longer periods without causing high extra cost, making especially Business-surveys much more efficient, multimedia-based contents can be shown.
Disadvantages: Danger of sample bias is higher compared to telephone surveys, as online research relies on active participation of target group, not every target group can be accessed online, length of interview is restricted (stronger than with other methods as self completion questionnaire).

Mobile surveys
Here the questionnaire is again programmed in the same way, however optimised for showing the content on small mobile phone displays. A former, unusable type of this survey have been sms-surveys, nowadays more and more web-based solutions come up. Potential respondents are persons with appropriate mobile phones, which are either members of online-panels or recruited ad-hoc in another way.

Advantages: very quick fieldwork, young, mobile target groups can easily be accessed.
Disadvantages: Questionnaire can only be kept very short and simple, high quality standards cannot be fulfilled with this approach – possible for simplest pre-screening, to gather first information in time trouble.

Weblogs
Within qualitative surveys weblogs for special questions are set up and analysed afterwards. Moreover, existing weblogs can be analysed as well. Participants can be recruited specifically and get incentives for a long(er)lasting participation.

Advantages: New qualitative approach, especially for basic research with longer fieldwork period, high motivation of participants, information of younger target groups can be collected in a very biotic way.
Disadvantages: Can only be used for special target groups, especially younger persons and persons dealing with weblogs in private life, very open and thus less guided / controlled approach, short-time projects are not possible.