Online Survey as a Data Collection Tool
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Abstract
In recent decades, online surveys have been commonly used in political and marketing surveys and academic and scientific research as a modern technique for collecting data. The main reasons for the growth of online surveys are: firstly, increasing the use of the internet, computers, and smartphones; furthermore, according to statistics, in 2023, more than 65% of the world population uses internet, and 85% of the world population use smartphones. Secondly, researchers need new data collection techniques to analyze phenomena related to modern societies. The purpose of this study is to provide a theoretical review as a way to use online surveys in academic studies. The research method is descriptive. The main result of this study is that online surveys assist researchers in collecting data at a lower cost and in a shorter time. Additionally, since there is no clear list of the target population and Internet users are unknown, the majority of online survey researchers apply nonprobability sampling techniques. However, due to the methodological problems that online surveys face, a high level of online data quality cannot be guaranteed, particularly concerning reliability and validity. Thus, researchers should use a mixed method that combines face-to-face and online study techniques in a study.
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