Web-based voice recognition survey apps as the “new interviewer”: development and practicality of a voice pseudo-face-to-face survey system

Abstract Traditional survey methods are at a crossroads in Japan owing to decreasing response rates and survey participation. Therefore, this study developed a novel survey method utilizing a Web-based voice recognition survey app as a new “interviewer” that replaces humans to conduct large-scale surveys for probability samples following the same procedure as conventional interview surveys. This study entails the development of the survey process and evaluating the practical feasibility of the new survey methodology. Overall, the response rate of the new survey method was not as high as that of the usual interview surveys. Furthermore, this study shows that the response rate was low compared with the login rate. Consequently, more attractive survey participation features should be developed to retain participants’ responses from the time they log in until they complete the survey.