The AIR Professional File
Fall 2016, Article 138
An Alternative Approach: Using Panels to Survey College Students
Shimon A. Sarraf, Sarah Hurtado, Mark Houlemarde, Xiaolin Wang
Abstract
Eight short surveys based on select items from the National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) were administered to approximately five hundred students over a nine-week period at five diverse colleges and universities. The goal of the experiment was to investigate what impact a survey panel data collection approach would have on recruitment, survey data quality indicators, and scale properties. Results indicated higher response rates, shorter survey duration, and minimal impact on scale factor structures. However, both cost of incentives and panel member attrition make this alternative survey method less attractive than it would be otherwise.
Acknowledgements
This paper was adapted from a longer paper presented at the annual conference of the Association for Institutional Research in Denver, Colorado, May 2015.
Additional Information
Authors
Shimon A. Sarraf, Indiana University Center for Postsecondary Research
Sarah Hurtado, Indiana University
Mark Houlemarde, Indiana University
Xiaolin Wang, Indiana University
Copyright © Association for Institutional Research 2016