1 Comparison of Three Tobacco Survey Methods with College Students: A Case Study

In-class survey administration with random class selection is recommended for conducting survey research on college campuses because it appears to be efficient, productive and simple, and does not allow for the occurrence of many of the difficulties that commonly arise when other modes are used.

Abstract

The goals of this case study were to: (1) determine the efficiency and effectiveness of three survey methods—postal mail survey, web-based survey, and random in-class administration survey—in assessing tobacco- related attitudes and behaviors among college students and (2) compare the response rate and procedures of these three methods. There was a large disparity in response rate between the three survey methods. In-class administration had the highest response rate (66%), followed by postal mail survey (23%) and web-based survey (10%). Based on the results, we recommend in-class survey administration with random class selection for conducting survey research on college campuses. This method appears to be efficient, productive and simple, and does not allow for the occurrence of many of the difficulties that commonly arise when other modes are used.