Equivalency of Paper Versus Tablet Computer Survey Data

Survey responses collected via paper surveys and computer tablets were compared to test for differences between those methods of obtaining self-report data. College students (N = 258) were recruited in public campus locations and invited to complete identical surveys on either paper or iPad tablet. Only minor homogeneity differences were found between methods, whereas no significant differences were evident in terms of acceptance rates, proportion of missing data, words per text response, scale scores, or scale internal consistencies. Findings suggest that collecting data from students via computer tablet is a viable alternative to paper-based methods and results in similar psychometric survey properties.