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Methodological issues in Internet-mediated research: a randomized comparison of internet versus mailed questionnaires
1Centre for Postgraduate Nursing Studies, University of Otago, Christchurch, New Zealand. lisa.whitehead@otago.ac.nz
Journal of Medical Internet Research
|December 14, 2011
Summary
Online and offline surveys show equivalent results for most measures, but fatigue levels differed. The SF-12v2 and Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) were equivalent across settings, unlike the Fatigue Symptom Inventory.
Area of Science:
- Health research methodology
- Psychometric validation
- Digital health studies
Background:
- Internet-mediated research often uses adapted traditional measures.
- Equivalence between online and offline data collection must be empirically verified, not assumed.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the measurement equivalence of four common health scales administered online versus offline.
- To compare data from online surveys with traditional mail (pencil-and-paper) surveys.
Main Methods:
- Randomly assigned 1,969 participants to complete the SF-12v2, HADS, Fatigue Symptom Inventory, or a single-item fatigue measure online or via mail.
- Achieved a 52.51% response rate (1,034 participants), with comparable rates between online and offline groups.
Main Results:
- The Fatigue Symptom Inventory showed significant differences, with higher fatigue reported online (P = .01).
- Equivalence was demonstrated for the SF-12v2 (Physical and Mental Component Scores) and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS).
- High internal consistency was observed for most scales, though the SF-12v2's suitability for remote administration was questioned.
Conclusions:
- The Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) and SF-12v2 demonstrated measurement equivalence between online and offline administration.
- The Fatigue Symptom Inventory did not show equivalence, indicating potential differences in fatigue reporting based on survey mode.
- Further research is needed to understand discrepancies in fatigue measures and control for confounding variables in online vs. offline studies.
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