Web-based surveys by direct mailing: An innovative way of collecting data

This article describes a new method of collecting data by direct mailing via the Internet. Feasibility and capacities were evaluated through a worldwide opinion poll on global future risks of mankind and potential solutions. Within 1 day, a structured questionnaire was sent to 8,859 randomly selected e-mail addresses. One thousand seven hundred and thirteen were remailed properly completed, 90 % within 4 days. Most respondents were residents of North America (64%) and Europe (21 %), male (87%), and 30 years old on average. Environmental destruction (52%) was mentioned as the primary problem, followed by violence (45%) and unemployment (45%). Education (71 %) was the most frequently proposed solution to future problems. It is obvious that Internet surveys at this time are not repre-sentative of the total population. However, they open new dimensions in the interrogation of experts and opinion leaders, especially considering their efficiency and potential for automation