Abstract
An online survey provided insight regarding problems associated with inattentive respondents when collecting primary data using an Internet interface. Rather than open-access, respondents were part of a commercially maintained consumer panel. Inattentive respondents were identified using three quality control checks: an instructional manipulation, a common knowledge question, and a time check. Of the 1,452 respondents who completed the 83-question survey, 511 respondents (35.19%) failed at least one quality control check; 59 (4.06%) failed all three. Deviations between inattentive and attentive respondents were identified. For the instructional manipulation and the common knowledge checks, the impact of the inattentive respondents depended upon the positional relationship of the prescribed response relative to the resultant metrics for the dependent variables. The findings support assuring the final data set comprises only individuals who are attentive when completing the survey. The results provide a broader perspective of the potential impact of inattentive respondents while simultaneously providing researchers with insight for the collection of more accurate data.
Recommended Citation
McCullough, Tammy and Fullerton, Sam
(2026)
"The Impact of Inattentive Respondents and the Efficacy of Quality Control Checks in Online Surveys,"
Global Advances in Business Communication: Vol. 12:
Iss.
1, Article 1.
Available at:
https://commons.emich.edu/gabc/vol12/iss1/1