A field study comparing online and offline data collection methods for identifying product attribute preferences using conjoint analysis

Do online and offline data collection methods yield different attribute preferences in an importance-rating task and a choice-based conjoint analysis task? This question is addressed in a field study designed to identify promising attributes for a new generation of wireless telephone handsets in an actual product development context. No practical differences in attribute preferences were observed between data collection methods when attribute preferences were measured using a direct importance-rating question. However, significant differences in attribute preferences were observed between the methods in the choice-based conjoint analysis task. Moreover, the online data collection method was judged superior to a traditional offline (paper-and-pencil) method on the basis of internal consistency and predictive (face) validity. These findings support the use of Internet/Web-enabled technology for conjoint analysis data collection. Other implications for research practice are discussed.