Web-based surveys: A case study

The growth of the internet has changed the way business is performed. Research also must change with this new media to remain a competitive and viable method for conducting its operations. This paper describes the design, methods, results, and insights gained from the enactment of a web-based survey which was used for research to validate a theory. Over 600 responses were obtained from 8 large organizations. The survey was used to accumulate enough sampling numbers to statistically evaluate the significance of a model for understanding the influences affecting knowledge acquisition in organizations. These samples were gained both through traditional "hardcopy" surveys as well as an "automatically" compiled database through a web-based survey submission. A comparison is done between the hardcopy and web returns-some returns were split as within-company replies as well as by between-companies. A basic description of the benefits and difficulties of the web-based method is outlined. Issues such as anonymity, speed of response, record keeping, and ballot stuffing are covered. Means to raise return rates are described. Lessons learned and insight into the usefulness of working through the web is explored.