<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><p>To estimate the coverage error for web surveys in Europe over time, we analyzed data from the Eurobarometer. The Eurobarometer collects data for the European Community across member and applicant states. Since 2005, the Eurobarometer has contained a straightforward question on Internet access. We compared respondents with and without Internet access and estimated coverage bias for demographic variables (sex, age, length of education) and sociopolitical variables (left-right position on a political scale, life satisfaction). Countries in Europe do differ in Internet penetration and resulting coverage bias. Over time, Internet penetration dramatically increases and coverage bias decreases, but the rate of change differs across countries. In addition, the countries’ development significantly affects the pace of these changes.</p></abstract>

To estimate the coverage error for web surveys in Europe over time, we analyzed data from the Eurobarometer. The Eurobarometer collects data for the European Community across member and applicant states. Since 2005, the Eurobarometer has contained a straightforward question on Internet access. We compared respondents with and without Internet access and estimated coverage bias for demographic variables (sex, age, length of education) and sociopolitical variables (left-right position on a political scale, life satisfaction). Countries in Europe do differ in Internet penetration and resulting coverage bias. Over time, Internet penetration dramatically increases and coverage bias decreases, but the rate of change differs across countries. In addition, the countries’ development significantly affects the pace of these changes.

Internet Coverage and Coverage Bias in Europe: Developments Across Countries and Over Time

Department of Social Informatics, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Ljubljana, Kongresni trg 12, 1000,Ljubljana, Slovenia

Department of Methodology and Statistics, Utrecht University. Plantage Doklaan 40, 1018 CN Amsterdam,the Netherlands

Journal of Official Statistics

To estimate the coverage error for web surveys in Europe over time, we analyzed data from the Eurobarometer. The Eurobarometer collects data for the European...

Internet Coverage and Coverage Bias in Europe: Developments Across Countries and Over Time

Published Online: Nov 09, 2013

Page range: 609 - 622

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/jos-2013-0042

Keywords
Web survey, Internet, coverage, coverage bias, nonsampling error, Eurobarometer

This content is open access.

Internet Coverage and Coverage Bias in Europe: Developments Across Countries and Over Time

Published Online: Nov 09, 2013

Page range: 609 - 622

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/jos-2013-0042

KeywordsWeb survey, Internet, coverage, coverage bias, nonsampling error, Eurobarometer

This content is open access.

Keywords
Web survey, Internet, coverage, coverage bias, nonsampling error, Eurobarometer