title: Rates of missing responses in personal digital assistant (PDA) versus paper assessments.
abstract: This article describes rates of missing item responses in personal digital assistant (PDA) assessments as compared to paper assessments. Data come from the evaluation of a classroom-based leisure, life skills, and sexuality education program delivered to high school students in Cape Town, South Africa. Analyses show that the paper assessments had much higher rates of missing-ness than PDA assessments. This association is moderated by item order. Certain analyses also suggest that paper assessments have higher rates of missingness for items pertaining to participants' sexual behavior. Implications of these results for evaluation research will be discussed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Human Development & Family Studies, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA. lxp201@psu.edu
authors.forename: Lori-Ann
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Palen
authors.forename: John W
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Graham
authors.forename: Edward A
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.forename: Linda L
authors.initials: LL
authors.lastname: Caldwell
authors.forename: Catherine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Mathews
authors.forename: Alan J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Flisher
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D003256:Community Participation; D034201:Computers, Handheld; D003479:Curriculum; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008019:Life Style; D016014:Linear Models; D008297:Male; D015233:Models, Statistical; D010209:Paper; D010865:Pilot Projects; D015397:Program Evaluation; D012725:Sexual Behavior; D013019:South Africa; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders