A mobile solution

x Sponsored content on Research Live and in Impact magazine is editorially independent.
Find out more about advertising and sponsorship.

In recent years, mobile has been hailed by many as a panacea to address a number of quantitative research issues, such as reaching younger, male respondents, improving sample representation and expanding the situations in which surveys are completed. In fact, the message put forward by the most emphatic supporters of mobile has been that the industry must switch to mobile or risk compromising quality and accuracy. 

To explore just how much weight these claims hold, Basis Research carried out an experimental study measuring the impact of a shift from PC-based surveys to a mobile-optimised approach. 

The results revealed a number of interesting trends: a switch to mobile surveys didn’t automatically attract younger men (though shorter, micro-surveys and SMS invites did increase participation among that demographic); and there was no effect of using a mobile approach on out-of-home survey completion, or indeed on survey experience. 

The results also showed that when given a choice between completing a ...