Total cost/response rate trade-offs in mail survey research: impact of follow-up mailings and monetary incentives

2003 ◽  
Vol 32 (7) ◽  
pp. 533-537 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paul D. Larson ◽  
Garland Chow
Keyword(s):  
Survey Research ◽  
Response Rate ◽  
Mail Survey ◽  
Research Impact ◽  
Monetary Incentives ◽  
Total Cost ◽  
Trade Offs

scholarly journals Who Gets Lost, and What Difference Does It Make? Mixed Modes, Nonresponse Follow-up Surveys and the Estimation of Turnout

2019 ◽  
Vol 7 (4) ◽  
pp. 520-544 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andreas C Goldberg ◽  
Pascal Sciarini
Keyword(s):  
Voter Turnout ◽  
Measurement Errors ◽  
Response Rate ◽  
Mail Survey ◽  
Computer Assisted ◽  
Political Factors ◽  
Demographic Groups ◽  
Telephone Interviews ◽  
Politically Active

Abstract This article assesses whether—and to what extent—turnout bias in postelection surveys is reduced by adding a short nonresponse follow-up (NRFU) survey to a mixed-mode survey. Specifically, we examine how the NRFU survey influences response propensities across demographic groups and political factors and whether this affects data quality. We use a rich dataset on validated voter turnout data, collected across two different ballots. In addition to the main survey that comprises computer-assisted telephone interviews (CATI) and web respondents, both studies include a short follow-up mail survey for nonrespondents. The results demonstrate that collecting extra information from additional respondents on so-called “central” questions is worth the effort. In both studies, the NRFU survey substantially increases representativeness with respect to sociodemographic and participation variables. In particular, voters and politically active citizens are more accurately represented in the NRFU survey. This tends to result in better estimates of turnout determinants in the final (combined) sample than is seen from CATI/web respondents only. Moreover, the increase in response rate and the decrease in nonresponse bias comes at almost no price in terms of measurement errors. Vote overreporting is only slightly higher in the mail follow-up survey than in the main CATI/web survey.

A Factor Interactive Investigation of Mail Survey Response Rates from a Commercial Population

1977 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
pp. 108-111 ◽  
Author(s):  
Milton M. Pressley ◽  
William L. Tullar
Keyword(s):  
Response Rate ◽  
Psychological Impact ◽  
Mail Survey ◽  
Threshold Value ◽  
The Other ◽  
Interactive Effects ◽  
Monetary Incentives ◽  
Monetary Value ◽  
Commercial Population ◽  
Main Effects

The results of a factorial experiment showed that a 10¢ incentive significantly increased the response rate from the commercial population surveyed by mail. No significant main effects were noted for the other factors tested, questionnaire color and cartoon illustrations included on the questionnaire. No significant interactive effects were found. The results of this investigation, in combination with those of earlier investigations, support the hypothesis that the importance of monetary inducements stems primarily from the psychological impact of receiving money (as opposed to the monetary value itself). Thus the hypothesis can be generalized with greater confidence to commercial populations. However, the results imply that there apparently is a threshold value for increasing response with monetary incentives which is lower for commercial populations (10¢) than it is for general public populations (25¢).

scholarly journals Factors Affecting Response Rate and Response Speed in a Mail Survey of Part-Time University Students

1981 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 79-89
Author(s):  
Gwenna M. Moss
Keyword(s):  
University Students ◽  
Response Time ◽  
Response Rate ◽  
Mail Survey ◽  
Response Speed ◽  
Increase Response Rate ◽  
Factors Affecting ◽  
Mean Response Time ◽  
Part Time

This paper reports the results of an experiment to determine the effects of questionnaire format, reminder format, and followup format on both response rate and response speed in a mail survey. Complete responses were received from 2212 of a sample of 2638 part- time university students, a rate of 83.8%. Mean response time was 16.09 days. Results indicated that: (1) typeset questionnaires were more effective than photocopied question- naires in terms of both response rate and speed; (2) the use of reminder postcards signifi- cantly increased both rate and speed; (3) there was no advantage in hand-addressed reminders over computer-produced labels; and (4) sending a replacement questionnaire as opposed to only a followup letter did not significantly increase response rate, but follow- up format interacted with questionnaire format in influencing response speed.

An Investigation into the Effects of Questionnaire Format and Color Variations on Mail Survey Response Rates

1995 ◽  
Vol 25 (1) ◽  
pp. 57-70 ◽  
Author(s):  
Raymond Lagarce ◽  
Judith Washburn
Keyword(s):  
Response Rate ◽  
Mail Survey ◽  
Response Rates ◽  
Survey Response ◽  
Color Design ◽  
Incentive Program ◽  
Questionnaire Version ◽  
User Friendly ◽  
Monitoring Response

This study examines the effect on mail survey response rates of variations in questionnaire color and format. A follow-up mail survey to a corporate incentive program was sent to more than 3,500 participants. Monitoring response rates by questionnaire version showed that a user-friendly format, followed by a two-color design, significantly increased response rates. Question wording and sequencing remained the same across questionnaire versions while format and color varied. A literature review revealed three issues addressed by past studies—structural, functional, and incentive—that impact response rates. Previous studies have found no response rate increases due to altering the color of a questionnaire. However, this study found that a user-friendly format, and to some extent color, was valuable for increasing mail survey response rates. Implications for writers of all forms of communication are drawn.

Survey Return Rates for Multiple-Authored versus Single-Authored Covering Letters

2010 ◽  
Vol 107 (1) ◽  
pp. 209-212
Author(s):  
James H. Price ◽  
Jagdish Khubchandani ◽  
Michele Bryant ◽  
Megan Rickard ◽  
Candace Hendershot ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Response Rate ◽  
Mail Survey ◽  
Response Rates ◽  
Return Rates ◽  
Covering Letter

Differences in response rates to a three-wave mail survey were assessed when the covering letters were signed by three versus one researcher. 375 surveys including covering letters signed by three researchers and 375 surveys including covering letters signed by one researcher were sent. A follow-up mailing was used to increase the response rate. 199 surveys were returned (53.5%) in which the covering letter had three researchers, and 218 when the covering letter had one researcher (58.7%), not a significantly different distribution.

Monetary Incentives versus Promised Contribution to Charity: New Evidence on Mail Survey Response

1982 ◽  
Vol 19 (3) ◽  
pp. 375-380 ◽  
Author(s):  
David H. Furse ◽  
David W. Stewart
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Dissonance ◽  
Research Finding ◽  
Response Rate ◽  
Mail Survey ◽  
Monetary Incentives ◽  
Mail Questionnaire ◽  
Questionnaire Response ◽  
Incentive Condition ◽  
Dissonance Theory ◽  
New Evidence

The relative efficacy of two types of incentives for producing responses to a mail survey was investigated. Personal cash payments of varying amounts enclosed with the questionnaire were compared with promises of a contribution to a charity of the respondent's choice and with a no-incentive control. Contrary to a previous research finding reported in the literature, the charity incentive did not produce a significantly greater return rate than was obtained with the no-incentive control. Personal cash incentives produced a significantly greater response rate than either the no-incentive control condition or the charity-incentive condition. Results of the study are interpreted as consistent with a cognitive dissonance theory of mail questionnaire response.

Effect on Mail Survey Return Rates of Including Questionnaires with Follow-up Letters

1981 ◽  
Vol 52 (1) ◽  
pp. 11-15 ◽  
Author(s):  
Charles M. Futrell ◽  
Charles W. Lamb
Keyword(s):  
Response Rate ◽  
Mail Survey ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Cover Letter ◽  
Reminder Letter ◽  
Return Rates ◽  
Initial Mailing

To study response rate a total of 2,002 questionnaires were mailed to respondents who were allocated to one of seven treatments. One treatment was a control group who received only an initial mailing (questionnaire and cover letter). The remaining six treatments were defined by two crossed factors, the number of follow-up waves of mailings (one, two, or three) and whether the follow-up mailings included only a reminder letter or a letter and another copy of a questionnaire. The results suggest more than one follow-up with a questionnaire is needed. A letter only was an ineffective method.

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