Strengths and Weaknesses of Electronic Surveys
Strengths
Cost-savings: It is less expensive to send questionnaires online than to pay for postage or for interviewers.
Ease of Editing/Analysis: It is easier to make changes to questionnaire, and to copy and sort data.
Faster Transmission Time: Questionnaires can be delivered to recipients in seconds, rather than in days as with traditional mail.
Easy Use of Preletters: You may send invitations and receive responses in a very short time and thus receive participation level estimates.
Higher Response Rate: Research shows that response rates on private networks are higher with electronic surveys than with paper surveys or interviews.
More Candid Responses: Research shows that respondents may answer more honestly with electronic surveys than with paper surveys or interviews.
Potentially Quicker Response Time with Wider Magnitude of Coverage: Due to the speed of online networks, participants can answer in minutes or hours, and coverage can be global.
Weaknesses
Sample Demographic Limitations: Population and sample limited to those with access to computer and online network.
Lower Levels of Confidentiality: Due to the open nature of most online networks, it is difficult to guarantee anonymity and confidentiality.
Layout and Presentation issues: Constructing the format of a computer questionnaire can be more difficult the first few times, due to a researcher's lack of experience.
Additional Orientation/Instructions: More instruction and orientation to the computer online systems may be necessary for respondents to complete the questionnaire.
Potential Technical Problems with Hardware and Software: As most of us (perhaps all of us) know all too well, computers have a much greater likelihood of "glitches" than oral or written forms of communication.
Response Rate: Even though research shows that e-mail response rates are higher, Opermann (1995) warns that most of these studies found response rates higher only during the first few days; thereafter, the rates were not significantly higher.