Online surveys vs. paper surveys

Here are some advantages of online surveys over the more traditional paper-based approach :

Cost : Online surveys are far cheaper than paper surveys – there are no printing, packing or postage costs.

Speed : Online surveys are fast – there is no posting of paper to or from recipients. This allows a much higher speed of response.

Productivity : Online surveys allow quicker analysis of data because there is no need for manual data entry.

Efficiency : Online surveys can easily be re-deployed at a future point – thus facilitating repeat surveys (of the same survey). This is particularly useful for trend analysis.

Anonymity : Online surveys can, if wanted, provide complete anonymity. There are no postmarks, no physical handovers, no hand-writing and no signature requirements. This anonymity increases the chances of getting honest and frank input from respondents.

More considered replies : Hardcopy evaluation sheets are often handed out at the end of meetings/classes/seminars while people are chatting and/or trying to get home or on to their next appointment. This busyness reduces the chances of thoughtful answers. Online surveys provide a quiet & focussed environment where a more thoughtful reply is possible.

Easier on respondents : The respondents don’t need to stuff or post any envelopes.

Use of logic : Online surveys allow logic to be used. For example, if someone has been asked if they wish to receive training (“Yes”/”No”) and they reply “No”, there is no need to ask them what training they wish to receive. This prevents confusion and annoyance, and also facilitates quicker progression through the survey.

Randomisation of answers : Online surveys often allow randomised answer choices - where the choices in a multiple-choice question are re-arranged randomly every time the question is accessed. This avoids skewed results from respondents always clicking the first choice. It also reduces order bias in the results gained.

Protection of Environment : Some people consider online surveys more environmentally-friendly than paper surveys because they do not use paper.

Note : Paper-based surveys are not to be discounted. They remain valuable, for example, in situations where some or all respondents do not have Internet access. Though SurveyGuru’s speciality is online surveys, we can use other means such as paper surveys.