Collecting data on alcohol use and alcohol-related victimization: A comparison of telephone and web-based survey methods

Objective: Traditionally, personal contact with an experienced interviewer has been thought to facilitate collection of data on alcohol use and victimization experiences. Recent studies indicate that Web-based surveys may be an efficient alternative for gathering these sensitive data. To date, telephone interviewing and Web-based collection of data on alcohol-related negative consequences, particularly victimization, have not been compared. This study was designed to compare data from an interviewer-administered and Web-based survey on alcohol use and alcohol-related negative consequences in a sample of college women. Method: Seven hundred women from a second semester freshmen college class were randomly selected to participate in either the telephone interview or Web-based modes of survey administration. Results: Fifty-three percent of invited women (N = 370) completed the survey. Completion rates were higher, and estimated dollar costs were significantly lower, for the Web-based survey. There were no differences in reported rates of alcohol or drug use by survey method; however, there were differences in several specific alcohol-related negative consequences. Conclusions: These findings suggest that, for college women, Web-based surveys versus telephone interviews can be an effective and more cost-efficient means for collecting data on alcohol use and related negative consequences, particularly victimization. In addition, we found some evidence that women may be more forthcoming when responding to a Web-based survey as compared with an interviewer-administered telephone survey.