Accuracy of Web Survey Data: The State Of Research on Factual Questions in Surveys

Surveys have long become a standard data collection tool. In more recent times web surveys have become particularly popular given their cost-effectiveness on one hand, and the ubiquitous nature of the internet and the World Wide Web on the other. Regardless of the type of survey, a number of issues still challenge survey researchers and practitioners. The accuracy of data collected for socio-demographic and other factual –type research questions is of utmost importance if the researcher is to make any claim about the data collected. Accuracy as characteristic of data quality is perhaps the most important issue of all. This paper specifically reviews the body of literature on work completed on data quality and identifies and analyzes studies on accuracy and reliability of data. This paper critically examines the most significant published research in the literature that addresses the issue of accuracy and reliability of survey data. Specifically, this review addresses and critique existing research methods, identifies and discusses important limitations, and concludes with a discourse on key questions to be answered and suggestions for future research.