Persistence and Attrition among Participants in a Multi-Page Online Survey Recruited via Reddit’s Social Media Network
Participant attrition is a major concern for the validity of longer or complex surveys. Unlike paper-based surveys, which may be discarded even if partially completed, multi-page online surveys capture responses from all completed pages until the time of abandonment. This can result in different ite...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2022-01-01
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| Series: | Social Sciences |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-0760/11/2/31 |
| _version_ | 1797476674293465088 |
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| author | Dirk H.R. Spennemann |
| author_facet | Dirk H.R. Spennemann |
| author_sort | Dirk H.R. Spennemann |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Participant attrition is a major concern for the validity of longer or complex surveys. Unlike paper-based surveys, which may be discarded even if partially completed, multi-page online surveys capture responses from all completed pages until the time of abandonment. This can result in different item response rates, with pages earlier in the sequence showing more completions than later pages. Using data from a multi-page online survey administered to cohorts recruited on Reddit, this paper analyses the pattern of attrition at various stages of the survey instrument and examines the effects of survey length, time investment, survey format and complexity, and survey delivery on participant attrition. The participant attrition rate (PAR) differed between cohorts, with cohorts drawn from Reddit showing a higher PAR than cohorts targeted by other means. Common to all was that the PAR was higher among younger respondents and among men. Changes in survey question design resulted in the greatest rise in PAR irrespective of age, gender or cohort. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T21:04:03Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-36e52a224fe0482bb73184fef991bd0a |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2076-0760 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T21:04:03Z |
| publishDate | 2022-01-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Social Sciences |
| spelling | doaj.art-36e52a224fe0482bb73184fef991bd0a2023-11-23T22:04:41ZengMDPI AGSocial Sciences2076-07602022-01-011123110.3390/socsci11020031Persistence and Attrition among Participants in a Multi-Page Online Survey Recruited via Reddit’s Social Media NetworkDirk H.R. Spennemann0School of Agricultural, Environmental and Veterinary Sciences, Charles Sturt University, P.O. Box 789, Albury, NSW 2640, AustraliaParticipant attrition is a major concern for the validity of longer or complex surveys. Unlike paper-based surveys, which may be discarded even if partially completed, multi-page online surveys capture responses from all completed pages until the time of abandonment. This can result in different item response rates, with pages earlier in the sequence showing more completions than later pages. Using data from a multi-page online survey administered to cohorts recruited on Reddit, this paper analyses the pattern of attrition at various stages of the survey instrument and examines the effects of survey length, time investment, survey format and complexity, and survey delivery on participant attrition. The participant attrition rate (PAR) differed between cohorts, with cohorts drawn from Reddit showing a higher PAR than cohorts targeted by other means. Common to all was that the PAR was higher among younger respondents and among men. Changes in survey question design resulted in the greatest rise in PAR irrespective of age, gender or cohort.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-0760/11/2/31Redditsurvey methodologysocial mediaonline surveysparticipant attrition |
| spellingShingle | Dirk H.R. Spennemann Persistence and Attrition among Participants in a Multi-Page Online Survey Recruited via Reddit’s Social Media Network Social Sciences survey methodology social media online surveys participant attrition |
| title | Persistence and Attrition among Participants in a Multi-Page Online Survey Recruited via Reddit’s Social Media Network |
| title_full | Persistence and Attrition among Participants in a Multi-Page Online Survey Recruited via Reddit’s Social Media Network |
| title_fullStr | Persistence and Attrition among Participants in a Multi-Page Online Survey Recruited via Reddit’s Social Media Network |
| title_full_unstemmed | Persistence and Attrition among Participants in a Multi-Page Online Survey Recruited via Reddit’s Social Media Network |
| title_short | Persistence and Attrition among Participants in a Multi-Page Online Survey Recruited via Reddit’s Social Media Network |
| title_sort | persistence and attrition among participants in a multi page online survey recruited via reddit s social media network |
| topic | Reddit survey methodology social media online surveys participant attrition |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-0760/11/2/31 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT dirkhrspennemann persistenceandattritionamongparticipantsinamultipageonlinesurveyrecruitedviaredditssocialmedianetwork |