On the Line and Online: Higher Non‐Response to Web‐Based Surveys Over‐Represents Avid Recreational Fishers Compared With Telephone Surveys

ABSTRACT Recreational fishing surveys have an important role in providing data to inform fisheries management. The selection of a contact method is an important and often challenging consideration that influences the potential for non‐sampling errors that can result in unrepresentative data and bias...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Fisheries management and ecology Vol. 32; no. 3
Main Authors: Ryan, Karina L., Taylor, Stephen M., Lyle, Jeremy M., Stark, Kate E., Tracey, Sean R.
Format: Journal Article
Language:English
Published: Oxford Wiley Subscription Services, Inc 01.06.2025
Subjects:
administrative management
Comparative analysis
Comparative studies
Computer‐Assisted Telephone Interviewing (CATI)
Computer‐Assisted Web Interviewing (CAWI)
ecology
fisher heterogeneity
Fisheries
Fisheries management
Fishers
Fishery data
Fishery management
Fishing
Internet
Marine fish
Marine Recreational Fisheries (MRF)
non‐sampling error
Polls & surveys
probability
Recreation
Sampling
Sport fishing
survey sampling
Surveys
telephones
ISSN:0969-997X, 1365-2400
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:ABSTRACT Recreational fishing surveys have an important role in providing data to inform fisheries management. The selection of a contact method is an important and often challenging consideration that influences the potential for non‐sampling errors that can result in unrepresentative data and biased estimates. Telephones are used for many off‐site recreational fishing surveys, but widespread use of digital technology suggests that online surveys could be a viable alternative. We compared phone surveys with alternative online surveys using probability sampling from a licence database. Response rates were lower for online surveys (13%–26%) than phone surveys (97%–98%). The proportion of respondents who reported marine fishing in the previous 12 months did not differ between survey methods (98% for both survey modes), but the proportion of avid fishers was higher for online surveys (41%–54%) than phone surveys (37%–40%). These differences reflect higher respondent burden for online surveys where data are self‐administered and respondents are more likely to opt‐out. Higher non‐response and over‐representation of avid fishers from online surveys may compromise data reliability. We recommend comparative studies to quantify and correct for biases when evaluating alternative survey modes for new or ongoing surveys.
Bibliography:Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development, Government of Western Australia.
Funding
ObjectType-Article-1
SourceType-Scholarly Journals-1
ObjectType-Feature-2
content type line 14
content type line 23
ISSN:0969-997X
1365-2400
DOI:10.1111/fme.12752