Using the Web to collect data: Lessons learned regarding recruitment and response rates in a professional student population.

Recently, the Internet has been used as more than merely a way to locate and disseminate information; it has found a place as a method of collecting data. A review of the literature on Web-based (or Internet) surveys has found that this method of data collection has been used very sparingly in criminology and criminal justice. A great deal of the literature on Web-based surveys has involved comparing them with traditional mail surveys or e-mail surveys with respect to response rates, recruitment of participants, quality of data, issues related to non-response, and respondent characteristics. This paper addresses the use of a Web-based survey as the sole method of gathering data with a population of professional students. In particular, this paper will address issues related to the recruitment of participants and response rates for a Web-based survey using students from two law schools. Possible methods to increase response rates of Web-based surveys with professional or graduate students, explanations of difficulties with response rates, and the possible future role that web-based surveys can play in data collection for the social sciences (in particular criminology and criminal justice) will also be discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]