Evaluation of an online (opt-in) panel for public participation geographic information systems surveys

Online panels are increasingly being used in market, social, psychological, and medical research (Callegaro & DiSogra, 2008). With decline in survey response rate across all modes of delivery (Curtin, Presser, & Singer, 2005; de Leeuw & de Heer 2002; Hansen 2006), online panels may appear an attractive option for conducting public participation geographic information systems (PPGIS) surveys despite limitations compared with probability sampling methods including undercoverage of the target population, high nonresponse within the panel, and self-selection bias (see Baker et al., 2010). This research evaluates the use of an online, opt-in panel (Couper, 2000) for conducting PPGIS surveys as an alternative to random household sampling, on-site survey recruitment, or self-selected (river) sampling. We evaluate the use of the online panel against several criteria of survey data quality: participation rate, mapping effort, and usability of survey responses. We discuss the implications of the results for future PPGIS survey research. PPGIS is a general set of methods for collecting local knowledge of places to inform land use planning processes. In PPGIS surveys, participants identify spatial locations on a map, either hardcopy or digital, using stickers, markers, or digital annotations. Typically they then respond to a set of survey questions that allow the investigator to examine correlations between these responses and the placement of their markers. PPGIS surveys are adaptable to a variety of social survey contexts where measuring perceptions of place is an important research objective. PPGIS applications have ranged from community and neighborhood planning to environmental and natural resource management (see Brown, 2005; Dunn, 2007; Sieber, 2006; and Sawicki & Peterman, 2002, for reviews of PPGIS applications and methods).