How to encourage
response?
There
are many different ways to increase response to a survey, some are more
costly than others:
(1)
Individual addressed letters or e-mail;
(2)
Inform respondents of what, why, who, and how;
(3)
Address confidentiality and anonymity;
(4)
Make sure the survey is easily understood by respondents, and is
not too burdensome;
(5)
Keep the questionnaire and all communications brief;
(6)
Try to make the content of the survey relevant to
respondents. There has been a
demonstrated link between response rates and survey relevance as perceived
by respondents.
(7)
Use of Priority mail in mail surveys;
(8)
Postcard follow-up to first mailing;
(9)
Second mailing (follow-up) with includes another copy of the
survey;
(10)
Follow-up phone calls to nonrespondents to second mailing;
(11)
E-mail information;
(12)
Set up a web-based data collection (when appropriate) with proper
controls;
(13)
Toll-free phone number for respondents to verify legitimacy of
survey;
(14) Outreach sessions with presentations
in several cities;
(15) News releases to trade
journals, state associations, and other interested parties;
(16)
Identify strategies for contacting hard-to-reach populations;
(17)
Set a deadline;
(18)
Endorsement of the survey by relevant organizations;
(19)
Use of more than 1 collection mode: e.g. face-to-face interviews
in non-telephone households.
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