Designing Effective Web Surveys

Mick Couper holds a Ph.D. in sociology from Rhodes University, an M.A. in applied social research from the University of Michigan, and an M.Soc.Sc. from the University of Cape Town. He has more than twenty years of experience in the design, implementation, and analysis of survey research on a variety of topics and using many different methods. He has consulted for numerous organizations, both private and public, on all aspects of survey design and data collection. His current research focuses on survey nonresponse, self-administered surveys, and the application of technology to the survey data collection process (including CATI, CAPI, audio-CASI, IVR, and Web surveys). He is co-author of Nonresponse in Household Interview Surveys, chief editor of Computer Assisted Survey Information Collection, co-editor of Methods for Testing and Evaluating Survey Questionnaires, and co-author of Survey Methodology. He has published extensively in a variety of journals. He is a leading international expert on the design and implementation of Internet surveys and regularly teaches short courses, consults, and presents findings of research on Web survey design.

• 1. The importance of design for web surveys; 2. The basic building blocks; 3. Going beyond the basics: visual and interactive enhancements to web survey instruments; 4. General layout and design; 5. Putting the questions together to make an instrument; 6. Implementing the design.

'… website designers interested in programming web surveys and those who already do will find this book useful in understanding how and why the design of these instruments matters from a survey research perspective.' Leah Melani Christian, Pew Research Center for the People and the Press