Mail Surveys

Abstract

Mail surveys are much less costly to conduct than telephone surveys or in‐person surveys and therefore are an attractive method of data collection for researchers. However, in general, mailed surveys have suffered from low response rates which limits their applicability. Extensive research conducted over the past few decades has documented a variety of procedural elements, which if followed, can overcome low response rates. In addition to postage‐paid return envelopes, strong respondent letters, and clear promises of respondent confidentiality or anonymity, the two most important procedures to incorporate in the study design are using as many as three reminders and including financial incentives for participation. Additional elements such as personalization, prenotification, modest length, and utilization of soft deadlines also have been shown to increase response rates slightly. By following these procedures, data collected through mail surveys can be as valid as data collected through telephone or in‐person methods.

Brokering new technologies: The role of children in their parents’ usage of the internet

“…Because the goal of this study is to assess digital media usage across populations from different socio-economic backgrounds, a self-administered mail was an appropriate method because it includes people who may not have a landline phone (Kempf and Remington, 2007), and who do not feel comfortable filling out a survey online (Hargittai and Walejko, 2008). This type of survey has other advantages: it allows respondents to answer at their own pace, provides privacy, and insulates respondents from the expectation of the interviewer (Mangione and Van Ness, 2009), which yield to less social desirability biases in the responses and greater validity and reliability.…”

Posttraumatic Stress Symptomatology as a Mediator of the Relationship Between Warzone Exposure and Physical Health Symptoms in Men and Women

“…See King, King, Vogt, Knight, and Samper (2006) for details about the sampling process. Mangione's (1998) multistep survey methodology was used for optimal response rate. Veterans were first mailed a letter explaining the purpose of the study, assuring confidentiality and human subjects protection standards.…”

Understanding eHealth Literacy From a Privacy Perspective: eHealth Literacy and Digital Privacy Skills in American Disadvantaged Communities

“…This survey method had advantages of maximally reaching a low-income, predominantly racial and ethnic minority, hard-to-access population that often has no landline phone or the Internet (Kempf & Remington, 2007). It also reduced the interviewer effect by allowing respondents to answer questions on their own and increased data validity and reliability (Mangione & Van Ness, 2009). Our research team made great efforts to increase the response rate, including posting flyers in community centers at housing communities as well as participating in various community events, special resident meetings, leasing parties, training sessions, and so on.…”