Concurrent Mixed Modes: Response Quality, Speed, and Cost

Abstract

This article presents the results of a general population study that used three different modes of data collection administered sequentially. The study began with a letter that contained the link to an online survey. Those who did not respond were interviewed by phone or face-to-face. The article focuses on the cost of the study related to response quality, and hypothesizes that the sequential use of various modes, first using the most economical ones, yields significant cost savings that do not affect the quality of the information obtained. The results indicate that the online survey was nine times cheaper than interviewer-administered modes of data collection. The face-to-face survey was the one with the highest rate of item nonresponse, whereas the telephone survey had the lowest item nonresponse rate.