Web-Based Enrollment and Other Types of Self-Selection in Surveys and Studies: Consequences for Generalizability

Research output: Contribution to journalJournal articleResearchpeer-review

  • Niels Keiding
  • Thomas A. Louis
Web-based enrollment in surveys and studies is increasingly attractive as the Internet is approaching near-universal coverage and the attitude of respondents toward participation in classical modes of study deteriorates. Follow-up is also facilitated by the web-based approach. However, the consequent self-selection raises the question of the importance of representativity when attempting to generalize the results of a study beyond the context in which they were obtained, particularly under effect heterogeneity. Our review is divided into three main components: first, sample surveys or prevalence studies, assessing the frequency or prevalence of some attitude or disease condition in a population from its frequency in a sample from this population; second, generalization of the results from randomized trials to the population in which they were performed and to other populations; and third, generalization of results from observational studies.
Original languageEnglish
JournalAnnual Review of Statistics and Its Application
Volume5
Pages (from-to)25-47
Number of pages23
ISSN2326-8298
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2018

ID: 198715564