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The framework proposed in this chapter is a collection of interrelated ideas and concepts that provide guidance for researchers undertaking a web survey. To carry out a survey, one must conduct a process that involves many steps and decisions. The process‐oriented approach divides the survey into steps that define the flow of the survey process, and this approach must be applied to web surveys as well. Steps differ in some respects from the traditional modes. Thus, the flow of the web survey process must be explicitly defined. Bethlehem and Biffignandi (2012) and Tourangeau, Conrad, and Couper (2013) pointed out the specifics of the web procedures without focusing on the whole process. Thorsdottir and Biffignandi¹ presented a flowchart for the steps of a probability‐based web survey. This chapter follows the flowchart approach to illustrate the process, the decisions involved at the various steps of the process, and the related risks of errors. The flowchart will help the surveyor² in properly planning a web survey and will help researchers highlight the steps of the survey process for their respective research. Starting from the flowchart presented by Thorsdottir and Biffignandi (Webdatanet Conference, 2015), the flowchart presented in this chapter is slightly different since mobile extension of the web survey is also considered (i.e., mobile web survey). Considering the wide diffusion of mobile devices (especially smartphones), mobile web survey is becoming a very frequent, say, mostly a standard, situation. When a web survey is administered if no disallow is activated, the survey may be received and completed not only using a PC but even from a mobile device. This situation is called mobile web survey, i.e., no prevention toward mobile devices in a web survey (for a discussion of the mobile surveys, see Chapter 2). For a detailed description of the choices for smartphone participation in web surveys, see Peterson et al. (2017). Mobile web survey implies several methodological challenges; nevertheless the survey process requires only a few differences with respect to the web‐only survey.

The flowchart divides the mobile web (or the web‐only survey) process into the following six major steps:

1 Determine the survey objective.

2 Metadata definition.

3 Designing the mobile web or only web survey (deciding on the mode, the sampling frame, and the sampling approach, designing the questionnaire, designing the paradata methodology, and selecting the sample, software, or programming language).

4 Collecting the data.

5 Creating the database.

6 Processing data.

The use of the flowchart brings a total survey error (TSE) perspective, which is an effective approach for understanding error sources in a comprehensive way (Weisberg, 2005). Biemer TSE approach aims at helping researchers make design decisions that maximize data quality within the constraints of a limited budget. TSE perspective disaggregates overall error into component, mainly distinguishing between sampling and non‐sampling errors. The TSE paradigm (see, for example, Platek and Särndal, 2001 and the ensuing discussions) refers to the concept of optimally allocating the available survey resources to minimize TSE for key estimates. In principle, to apply the TSE paradigm, the major sources of error should be identified so that the survey resources can be allocated to reduce their errors, within specified constraints on costs. An overview of the TSE history and recent research results on the relationships between different types of errors is given in Biemer et al. (2017). The idea of the TSE is of optimally balancing the dimensions of survey quality within the survey budget and schedule. It is possible to distinguish between TSE and total survey quality. This considers the fitness for use of an estimate, that is, quality from both the producer and user perspectives. The “fitness for use” concept implies not only accuracy is considered; for instance, attributes such as the timeliness, accessibility, and comparability of the data have to be granted in the survey process, as well as various types of errors (see Chapter 5), such as measurement, nonresponse, and so forth (Groves, 1989).

The message in this chapter is that both TSE and total quality survey perspective embody the need to consider different error sources and that errors occur at every step of the survey process and, sometimes, they are interrelated.

In this chapter, a framework of the web survey process is proposed. The framework's main purpose is to provide a clear overview of the necessary decisions when organizing a mobile web survey or web‐only survey and to create a shared overview of the survey process steps. Practitioners, as well as researchers, can refer to the flowchart and obtain a clear understanding of the procedure to follow, the choices to do, and the type of errors that might occur. Thus, there is a more complete, integrated perspective in studying and interpreting errors. Understanding them becomes more easily.