This article examines the impact of follow-up techniques (designed to increase the survey response rate) on uninformed responses to factual survey questions. Such questions of fact can be used as filters to measures a respondents base of information, knowledge or experience on a topic prior to measuring his/her opinions on that topic, but only if uninformed responses are less likely to be given to the factual filter questions than to the opinion/attitude questions. Previous research suggests that response pressure (including follow-up contact) tends to exacerbate the uninformed response rate to opinion or attitude questions. However, the research reported here suggests that is not so with factual questions; follow-up contract does not result in increased levels of uninformed response to questions of fact.
Does an offer for a free on-line continuing medical education (CME) activity increase physician survey response rate? A randomized trial
