Navigating pitfalls of web-based survey development and administration

With multiple low-cost Web-based delivery methods increasingly available, the number of surveys being distributed to gather data on library users and potential users is dramatically increasing. This paper provides an overview of survey administration including history, guidelines on decision-making in survey development, and best practices for survey research when delivered via the Web. Questions on survey development issues such as probability and non-probability sampling and privacy concerns are clarified.