title: Validation of the Insomnia Severity Index as a Web-Based Measure Internet Versus Mailed Questionnaires: A Controlled Comparison (2) The use of research questionnaires with hearing impaired adults: online vs. paper-and-pencil administration Social desirability, anonymity, and internet-based questionnaires Comparison of Internet-Based and Paper-Based Questionnaires in Taiwan Using Multisample Invariance Approach Methodological Issues in Internet-Mediated Research: A Randomized Comparison of Internet Versus Mailed Questionnaires A Comparison of Psychometric Properties Between Internet and Paper Versions of Two Depression Instruments (BDI-II and MADRS-S) Administered to Clinic Patients Test-retest reliability of alcohol measures: is there a difference between internet-based assessment and traditional methods? Comparison of the standard and the computerized versions of the Symptom Check List (SCL‐90‐R): a randomized trial
abstract: Although the  Insomnia Severity Index ( ISI ) is already administered online , this frequently used instrument has not been vali date d for Web delivery . This study compares online and paper- and -pencil ISI versions completed by participants in a r and omized controlled trial testing an Internet-delivered intervention for insomnia . Forty-three adults with insomnia completed both ISI versions during pre- ( Assessment 1 ) and post-intervention ( Assessment 2 ) . Correlations between total scores of both versions were significant ( rs ≥ .98 , ps < .001 ) . For both ISI versions , internal consistency was acceptable ( Assessment 1 , α = .61 ; Assessment 2 , α ≥ .88 ) . Among participants not receiving the parent study intervention , correlations between 1 format at Assessment 1 and the alternative format at Assessment 2 were generally significant ( rs = .26–.82 ) . Together , findings suggest the ISI can be delivered online Background Low response rates among surgeons can threaten the validity of surveys . Internet technologies may reduce the time , effort , and financial re sources needed to conduct surveys . Objective We investigated whether using Web-based technology could increase the response rates to an international survey . Methods We solicited opinions from the 442 surgeon – members of the Orthopaedic Trauma Association regarding the treatment of femoral neck fractures . We developed a self-administered question naire after conducting a literature review , focus groups , and key informant interviews , for which we used sampling to redundancy techniques . We administered an Internet version of the question naire on a Web site , as well as a paper version , which looked similar to the Internet version and which had identical content . Only those in our sample could access the Web site . We alternately assigned the participants to receive the survey by mail ( n=221 ) or an email invitation to participate on the Internet ( n=221 ) . Non-respondents in the mail arm received up to three additional copies of the survey , while non-respondents in the Internet arm received up to three additional requests , including a final mailed copy . All participants in the Internet arm had an opportunity to request an emailed Portable Document Format ( PDF ) version . Results The Internet arm demonstrated a lower response rate ( 99/221 , 45 % ) than the mail question naire arm ( 128/221 , 58 % ) ( absolute difference 13 % , 95 % confidence interval 4%-22 % , P<0.01 ) . Conclusions Our Internet-based survey to surgeons result ed in a significantly lower response rate than a traditional mailed survey . Research ers should not assume that the widespread availability and potential ease of Internet-based surveys will translate into higher response rates Background When evaluating hearing rehabilitation , it is reasonable to use self-report question naires as outcome measure . Question naires used in audiological research are developed and vali date d for the paper- and -pencil format . As computer and Internet use is increasing , st and ardized question naires used in the audiological context should be evaluated to determine the viability of the online administration format . The aim of this study was to compare administration of question naires online versus paper- and pencil of four st and ardised question naires used in hearing research and clinic . We included the Hearing H and icap Inventory for the Elderly ( HHIE ) , the International Outcome Inventory for Hearing Aids ( IOI-HA ) , Satisfaction with Amplification in Daily Life ( SADL ) , and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale ( HADS ) . Methods A cross-over design was used by r and omly letting the participants complete the question naires either online or on paper . After 3 weeks the participants filled out the same question naires again but in the other format . A total of 65 hearing-aid users were recruited from a hearing clinic to participate on a voluntary basis and of these 53 completed both versions of the question naires . Results A significant main effect of format was found on the HHIE ( p < 0.001 ) , with participants reporting higher scores on the online format than in the paper format . There was no interaction effect . For the other question naires were no significant main or interaction effects of format . Significant correlations between the two ways of presenting the measures was found for all question naires ( p<0.05 ) . The results from reliability tests showed Cronbachs α ’s above .70 for all four question naires and differences in Cronbachs α between administration formats were negligible . Conclusions For three of the four included question naires the participants ’ scores remained consistent across administrations and formats . For the fourth included question naire ( HHIE ) a significant difference of format with a small effect size was found . The relevance of the difference in scores between the formats depends on which context the question naire is used in . On balance , it is recommended that the administration format remain stable across assessment points It has been argued that behavior on the Internet differs from similar behavior in the “ real world ” ( Joinson , 1998a ) . In the present study , participants completed measures of self-consciousness , social anxiety , self-esteem , and social desirability  , using either the World-Wide Web ( WWW ) or pen and paper , and were assigned to either an anonymous or a nonanonymous condition . It was found that people reported lower social anxiety and social desirability and higher self-esteem when they were anonymous than when they were nonanonymous . Furthermore , participants also reported lower social anxiety and social desirability when they were using the Internet than when they were using paper-based methods . Contrast analyses supported the prediction that participants using the WWW anonymously would show the lowest levels of social desirability , whereas participants answering with pen and paper nonanonymously would score highest on the same measure . Implication s for the use of the Internet for the collection of psychological data are discussed This study examines whether the Internet-based question naire is psychometrically equivalent to the paper-based question naire . A r and om sample of 2,400 teachers in Taiwan was divided into experimental and control groups . The experimental group was invited to complete the electronic form of the Chinese version of Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale ( CES-D ) placed on the Internet , whereas the control group was invited to complete the paper-based CES-D , which they received by mail . The multi sample invariance approach , derived from structural equation modeling ( SEM ) , was applied to analyze the collected data . The analytical results show that the two groups have equivalent factor structures in the CES-D. That is , the items in CES-D function equivalently in the two groups . Then the e quality of latent mean test was performed . The latent means of " depressed mood , " " positive affect , " and " interpersonal problems " in CES-D are not significantly different between these two groups . However , the difference in the " somatic symptoms " latent means between these two groups is statistically significant at alpha = 0.01 . But the Cohen 's d statistics indicates that such differences in latent means do not apparently lead to a meaningful effect size in practice . Both CES-D question naires exhibit equal validity , reliability , and factor structures and exhibit a little difference in latent means . Therefore , the Internet-based question naire represents a promising alternative to the paper-based question naire Background The majority of Internet-mediated studies use measures developed as paper- and -pencil measures or face-to-face-delivered material . Previous research suggests that the equivalence between online and offline measures must be demonstrated rather than assumed . Objective The objective of this study was to explore the equivalence 4 measures completed in an online or offline setting . Methods A sample of students ( n = 1969 ) was r and omly assigned to complete 4 popular scales ( the SF-12v2 , the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale ( HADS ) , the Fatigue Symptom Inventory , and a single-item fatigue measure ) either online or by mail survey ( pencil and paper ) . The response rate was 52.51 % ( n = 1034 ) and comparable between the online and offline groups . Results Significant differences were noted in fatigue levels between the online and offline group ( P = .01 ) as measured by the Fatigue Symptom Inventory , with the online sample demonstrating higher levels of fatigue . Equivalency was noted for the SF-12v2 , the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale , and the single-item fatigue measure . Internal consistency was high except for the SF-12v2 . The SF-12v2 may not be an ideal measure to use for remote administration . Conclusions Equivalency of the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale ( HADS ) and the Physical Component Score and Mental Component Score of the SF-12v2 for online and offline data were demonstrated . Equivalency was not demonstrated for the Fatigue Symptom Inventory . Explanations for the difference in fatigue score between the online and offline sample s are unclear . Research that seeks to match sample s and control for extraneous online and offline variables is called for , along with exploration of factors that may mediate the completion of question naires or alter the respondents ’ relationship with the same , to enhance progress in this area Background Self-report measures can guide clinical decisions and are useful when evaluating treatment outcomes . However , many clinicians do not use self-report measures systematic ally in their clinical practice . Internet-based question naires could facilitate administration , but the psychometric properties of the online version of an instrument should be explored before implementation . The recommendation from the International Test Commission is to test the psychometric properties of each question naire separately . Objective Our objective was to compare the psychometric properties of paper- and -pencil versions and Internet versions of two question naires measuring depressive symptoms . Methods The 87 participating patients were recruited from primary care and psychiatric care within the public health care system in Sweden . Participants completed the  Beck Depression Inventory ( BDI-II )  and the  Montgomery-Åsberg Depression Rating Scale — Self-rated ( MADRS-S )  , both on paper and on the Internet . The order was r and omized to control for order effects . Symptom severity in the sample ranged from mild to severe depressive symptoms . Results Psychometric properties of the two administration formats were mostly equivalent . The internal consistency was similar for the Internet and paper versions , and significant correlations were found between the formats for both MADRS-S ( r = .84 ) and the BDI-II ( r = .89 ) . Differences between paper and Internet total scores were not statistically significant for either question naire nor for the MADRS-S question dealing with suicidality ( item 9 ) when analyzed separately . The score on the BDI-II question about suicidality ( item 9 ) was significantly lower when administered via the Internet compared with the paper score , but the difference was small ( effect size , Cohen ’s [ d ] = 0.14 ) . There were significant main effects for order of administration on both question naires and significant interaction effects between format and order . This should not , however , pose a problem in clinical use as long as the administration format is not changed when repeated measurements are made . Conclusions The MADRS-S can be transferred to online use without affecting the psychometric properties in a clinical ly meaningful way . The full BDI-II also seems to retain its properties when transferred ; however , the item measuring suicidality in the Internet version needs further investigation since it was associated with a lower score in this study . The use of online question naires offers clinicians a more practical way of measuring depressive symptoms and has the potential to save re sources This study compared Web-based assessment techniques with traditional paper-based methods of commonly used measures of alcohol use . Test-retest reliabilities were obtained , and tests of validity were conducted . A total of 255 participants were r and omly assigned to 1 of 3 conditions : paper-based ( P&P ) , Web-based ( Web ) , or Web-based with interruption ( Web-I ) . Follow-up assessment s 1 week later indicated reliabilities ranging from .59 to .93 within all measures and across all assessment methods . Significantly high test-retest reliability coefficients support the use of these measures for research and clinical applications . Furthermore , no significant differences were found between assessment techniques , suggesting that Web-based methods are a suitable alternative to more traditional methods . This cost-efficient alternative has the advantage of minimizing data collection and entry errors while increasing survey accessibility Objective : The purpose of this study was to examine whether computer administration of the Symptom Check List ( SCL‐90‐R ) is equivalent to paper‐ and ‐pencil originals
target: When digital versions of self-report symptom scales are compared to pen and paper versions , most scales show high interformat reliability .
  This supports the reliability of results obtained in psychotherapy research on the Internet and the comparability of the results to traditional psychotherapy research .
background: BACKGROUND Research on Internet-based interventions typically use digital versions of pen and paper self-report symptom scales .
  However , adaptation into the digital format could affect the psychometric properties of established self-report scales .
  Several studies have investigated differences between digital and pen and paper versions of instruments , but no systematic review of the results has yet been done .
  OBJECTIVE This review aims to assess the interformat reliability of  self-report symptom  scales used in digital or online psychotherapy research .