Web Panels

Abstract

This chapter focuses on the cross-sectional use of web panels for the general population. It provides an overview of various aspects of web panels. The chapter describes its advantages and disadvantages. Also, some examples of existing web panels are given. A sample is selected from a panel, and questions are not asked face-to-face or by telephone, but over the Internet. There are some methodological challenges, however. To be able to obtain reliable and valid results, a number of issues have to be dealt with: under-coverage, recruitment, nonresponse, measurement errors, and maintenance. Two applications of web panels are described in this chapter. The first one is the account of a test carried out by Statistics Netherlands, the national statistical institute of the Netherlands. The second application describes the use of self-selection web panels for opinion polls during the campaign of the general elections in the United Kingdom on May 7, 2015.

Authors 2

1. Silvia Biffignandi

   University of Bergamo

   Affiliation as printed

   University of Bergamo, Italy

2. Jelke G. Bethlehem Aachen Faculty of Social and Behavioral Sciences Institute of Political Science

   Leiden University

   Affiliation as printed

   Faculty of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Institute of Political Science, Leiden University, The Netherlands