Publication type
Understanding Society Working Paper Series
Series Number
22025-16
Series
Understanding Society Working Paper Series
Authors
Publication date
November 11, 2025
Abstract:
The expansion of internet access raises the question of whether it is now feasible to conduct web-only surveys of the general population without compromising representativeness. This study examines the representativeness of web-only surveys of the general population in the United Kingdom using data from the United Kingdom Household Longitudinal Study main survey (2009-2022) and Innovation Panel (2012-2023). Internet users have become increasingly representative of the general population, though some gaps persist among older adults and other disadvantaged groups. Web survey respondents have also become more representative of the general population over the last decade.
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