Internet pop-up polls receive their name from their inherent function. These polls appear on the user's screen in a new browser window, which is triggered by accessing the content of a designated Web page. Like all Internet surveys, these surveys can reduce the time and cost of conducting research by streamlining the data collection process. Utilizing a dynamic programming language such as PHP (Hypertext Preprocessor) or PERL, the researcher can create a Common Gateway Interface (CGI) script that either emails the survey responses back to the administrator or automatically drops the entries into a pre-scripted database.

Pop-up polls can improve response rates by creating more attractive and easy-to-use forms. Specifically, they allow participants to view the base Web page while simultaneously taking an associated survey. However, ...