Web Probing |
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| Coordinator 1 | Dr Katharina Meitinger (Utrecht University) |
| Coordinator 2 | Dr Dorothée Behr (GESIS) |
| Coordinator 3 | Dr Paul Scanlon (CDC) |
Web probing – that is, the implementation of probing techniques from cognitive interviewing in web survey with the goal to assess the validity of survey items – is a valuable addition to the toolbox of (cross-cultural) survey methodologists (Behr et al. 2017). Thanks to the implementation in web surveys, web probing can have large sample sizes which allow for an analysis of response patterns in subpopulations and a prevalence assessment of question problems and themes. The method has already been used to assess measurement instruments for a large variety of topics and methodological research has already addressed several aspects of web probing, such as optimal design or nonresponse detection.
However, several research gaps remain, such as:
- Optimal web probing design
- Prevention strategies to reduce nonresponse and mismatches
- Samples for web probing and implications for data quality
- Probe types and their potential to generate insights into the cognitive response process
- Level of granularity of web probing studies (e.g., regional analysis)
- Performance of web probing in non-European/American contexts
- Data collection with voice and video recordings
- The use of AI for the translation of probe responses
- The use of AI for the coding and analysis of probe responses
For this session, we invite (1) presentations with a substantive application of web probing and (2) presentations that address some of the methodological challenges and considerations of web probing.