The Road to Web Surveys

Abstract

Web surveys are a next step in the evolution process of survey data collection. This chapter describes the historical developments that have led to the emergence of web surveys. It shows how these developments were implemented at Statistics Netherlands and led to new software for survey data collection. First ideas about survey sampling emerged in the world of official statistics. If a starting year must be chosen, 1895 would be a good candidate. Anders Kiaer started in this year a fundamental discussion about the use of sampling methods. This discussion led to the development, acceptance, and application of sampling as a scientific method. Anders Kiaer was the founder and advocate of the survey method that is now widely applied in official statistics and social research. With the first publication of his ideas in 1895, he started the process that ended in the development of modern survey sampling theory and methods.

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