Why are respondents less likely to consent to data linkage in web than in-person interviews, and what can we do to increase informed consent in web? |
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| Coordinator 1 | Mr Jim Vine (ISER, University of Essex) |
| Coordinator 2 | Dr Sandra Walzenbach (University of Konstanz) |
| Coordinator 3 | Dr Jonathan Burton (ISER, University of Essex) |
| Coordinator 4 | Professor Annette Jäckle (ISER, University of Essex) |
Respondents’ propensity to consent to data linkage is generally much lower in self-completed modes than in interviewer-administered surveys. Previous studies have found differences of up to 40 percentage points in consent rates for the same survey conducted in different modes. This appears to be a causal effect of the mode on willingness to consent, not due to selection of less willing respondents into web. As more surveys transition to the web, and data linkage increases in importance, there is more to be done to understand why respondents are less willing to consent in web than interviewer administered surveys, and what can be done to close this mode gap.
This session will focus on the processes by which respondents make the decision whether to consent to data linkage, how these processes differ between survey modes and why, and what can be done in terms of questionnaire design and survey protocols to increase informed consent amongst web respondents.
We welcome papers that focus on:
• understanding the differences between modes in consent decision processes,
• how consent question format, presentation, and wording influence the decision, and
• other features of questionnaire and survey design that can increase consent in web surveys.