Impact of web map survey design on survey quality – A quantitative exploration of public participation geographic information system survey design's impact on survey submission rate and spatial data quality

Abstract

This thesis investigates how the design of web-based PPGIS surveys influences both survey submission rates and spatial data quality. Using a dataset of 216 surveys from Maptionnaire, a platform for participatory mapping, the study quantitatively analyzes relationships between survey design features and measures of survey quality through correlation and regression methods. The research identifies design factors, such as the length of a survey, background maps, and visual complexity, that affect survey completion and data precision. The results suggest that long surveys with relatively many popup windows tend to decrease submission rates, while spatial data quality is lowered by the use of multiple different background maps and visually complex and busy survey pages. Even though statistically significant, the results should be understood as indicative. Beyond survey design, there are multiple other factors, which were left out of this study, that can have a more significant effect on survey quality. The findings contribute empirical evidence to an underexplored area in PPGIS research and provide scientific suggestions for practical survey design guidelines.