An Evaluation of the Semiautomatic Login Procedure to Control Web Survey Access

Abstract

It is common practice to limit web survey access to individuals in the sample through the use of access codes such as personal identification numbers, user names, and passwords. Different technically equivalent methods exist to control survey access. However, these methods are not necessarily methodologically equivalent. In this study, an experimental design was set up to evaluate the effect of three login procedures: a manual, a semiautomatic, and an automatic login procedure. It was found that the automatic login produced the lowest data quality, whereas the manual and semiautomatic login produced data of a higher and comparable level of quality. Nevertheless, the manual and the semiautomatic login procedures differ from each other in certain respects. The study concludes that the semiautomatic login is a useful alternative to control web survey access.

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