Tip Sheet 1
This document was uploaded by user and they confirmed that they have the permission to share it. If you are author or own the copyright of this book, please report to us by using this DMCA report form. Report DMCA
Overview
Download & View Tip Sheet 1 as PDF for free.
More details
- Words: 404
- Pages: 1
Quick Tips How to Get a Respectable Response Rate # that answered # you contacted
=
Response Rate
It can get more complicated than this, but let’s start with this basic assumption. The higher the response rate, the better the data describes the people in the sample or census. If you get a low response rate to your survey, your survey could suffer from “nonresponse error.”1 In other words, your results will be biased towards describing your respondents and ignoring those who did not respond. There is no “magic number” response rate that guarantees that you have completed an evaluation study of high quality. On a practical level, you may want information from as many people as you have asked for information from.
Quick Tip #27
Use a combination of the following techniques to increase response rates to mail, e-mail and telephone surveys : 1 See Dillman, D. (2000). Mail and Internet Surveys: The Tailored Design Method, 2nd Edition. New York: John Wiley & Sons for more information on improving response rates.
Send an advance notice letter or e-mail or make an advance phone call asking them to participate.
Explain why their response to the survey is important.
Enclose a self-addressed, stamped envelope so respondents don’t have to use their own postage.
Send a reminder postcard 7 to 10 days after the first mailing to thank them for their response and encourage them to respond if they have not yet done so.
Send a second questionnaire (with cover letter and stamped return envelope)
7 days or so after the reminder postcard.
Telephone respondents if they have not responded to the second survey.
Give respondents the option to fax a response or give answers by telephone.
Hand-address the envelope instead of using computerized labels and use a firstclass stamp.
Offer to send a brief summary of the results, so they know their information will be used.
Include a token incentive in the mailing for their completed questionnaire – a voucher for a publication; a few dollars, if your budget allows; an opportunity to be entered into a drawing for a prize.
Prepared by Heather H. Boyd, Evaluation Specialist. Citation: Program Development and Evaluation, How to Get a Respectable Response Rate, Quick Tips #1, University of Wisconsin-Extension, Madison, WI. © 2002 Available in PDF format at http://www.uwex.edu/ces/pdande/resources/index.html or contact:[email protected] Last updated March 22, 2005
continued
=
Response Rate
It can get more complicated than this, but let’s start with this basic assumption. The higher the response rate, the better the data describes the people in the sample or census. If you get a low response rate to your survey, your survey could suffer from “nonresponse error.”1 In other words, your results will be biased towards describing your respondents and ignoring those who did not respond. There is no “magic number” response rate that guarantees that you have completed an evaluation study of high quality. On a practical level, you may want information from as many people as you have asked for information from.
Quick Tip #27
Use a combination of the following techniques to increase response rates to mail, e-mail and telephone surveys : 1 See Dillman, D. (2000). Mail and Internet Surveys: The Tailored Design Method, 2nd Edition. New York: John Wiley & Sons for more information on improving response rates.
Send an advance notice letter or e-mail or make an advance phone call asking them to participate.
Explain why their response to the survey is important.
Enclose a self-addressed, stamped envelope so respondents don’t have to use their own postage.
Send a reminder postcard 7 to 10 days after the first mailing to thank them for their response and encourage them to respond if they have not yet done so.
Send a second questionnaire (with cover letter and stamped return envelope)
7 days or so after the reminder postcard.
Telephone respondents if they have not responded to the second survey.
Give respondents the option to fax a response or give answers by telephone.
Hand-address the envelope instead of using computerized labels and use a firstclass stamp.
Offer to send a brief summary of the results, so they know their information will be used.
Include a token incentive in the mailing for their completed questionnaire – a voucher for a publication; a few dollars, if your budget allows; an opportunity to be entered into a drawing for a prize.
Prepared by Heather H. Boyd, Evaluation Specialist. Citation: Program Development and Evaluation, How to Get a Respectable Response Rate, Quick Tips #1, University of Wisconsin-Extension, Madison, WI. © 2002 Available in PDF format at http://www.uwex.edu/ces/pdande/resources/index.html or contact:[email protected] Last updated March 22, 2005
continued
Related Documents
Tip Sheet 1
December 2019 28
Tip Sheet
August 2019 49
Marked - Tor Tip Sheet
October 2019 28
Thesis Statement Tip Sheet
October 2019 27
Tip Sheet 4
December 2019 27
