Should Surveys be Conducted Online or On Paper? A Comparison

Internet consumer surveys have become increasingly popular in agricultural and food research. This study compares the results of an identical survey instrument implemented by mail and the Internet respectively. Aspects compared include survey logistics, timeline, costs, consumer demographic and socioeconomic features, observed univariate variables, and multivariate regression coefficient estimates and predictions. Results do reveal some differences in data collected by these two approaches. However, given the similarities between the two samples, the differences observed do not offer enough support to command either approach as superior to the other. It appears both methodologies can generate high quality data and are appropriate when used carefully.