Administering Written Surveys
Written surveys can be handled in several different ways. A research worker can deliver the questionnaires to the homes of the sample respondents, explain the study, and then pick the questionnaires up on a later date (or, alternately, ask the respondent to mail the survey back when completed). Another option is mailing questionnaires directly to homes and having researchers pick up and check the questionnaires for completeness in person. This method has proven to have higher response rates than straightforward mail surveys, although it tends to take more time and money to administer.
It is important to put yourself into the role of respondent when deciding how to administer your survey. Most of us have received and thrown away a mail survey, and so it may be useful to think back to the reasons you had for not filling it out and returning it. Here are some ideas for boosting your response rate:
- Include in each questionnaire a letter of introduction and explanation, and a self-addressed, stamped envelope for returning the questionnaire.
- Oftentimes, when it fits the study's budget, the envelope might also include a monetary "reward" (usually a dollar to five dollars) as an incentive to fill out the survey.
- Another method for saving the responder time is to create a self-mailing questionnaire that requires no envelope but folds easily so that the return address appears on the outside. The easier you make the process of completing and returning the survey, the better your survey results will be.
- Follow up mailings are an important part of administering mail surveys. Nonrespondents can be sent letters of additional encouragement to participate. Even better, a new copy of the survey can be sent to nonresponders. Methodological literature suggests that three follow up letters are adequate, and two to three weeks should be allowed between each mailing.