A Survey Mode of the Future? Investigating Respondents’ Willingness to Participate in Self-Administered Video-Based Web Surveys

Abstract

Web surveys convince through low costs, save interviewer time, and provide respondents with a high level of flexibility, but often struggle with achieving high response rates and data quality. One way to mitigate these problems might be to conduct video-based web surveys, in which at least one of the two interview components (i.e., questions or answers) is based on video communication technology. However, few studies have investigated respondents’ willingness to participate in such web surveys. Therefore, we examine the extent to which respondents are willing to participate in video-based web surveys and the reasons for their hypothetical (non)willingness. This also includes the investigation of characteristics of respondents and video-based web surveys that are associated with (non)willingness. The results of two experimental web surveys conducted in non-probability online panels in Germany reveal that a majority of respondents is
willing to participate in web surveys with video-based questions and predefined answer options or open textual answers. Less respondents are willing to participate in web surveys with voice or video-based answers. While respondents mostly mention convenience and time flexibility as reasons for their willingness, the main reasons given for their nonwillingness are excessive effort regarding video-based questions and privacy and data security concerns regarding video-based answers. Video-based web surveys generally appeal to younger, male, and extraverted respondents as well as respondents who rate the survey as more interesting. This article provides researchers and practitioners with new insights into respondents’ hypothetical willingness when it comes to video-based web surveys, including empirical-driven survey design recommendations.