Offering Web Response as a Refusal Conversion Technique in a Mixed-mode Survey

Abstract

Survey organizations aiming to improve response rates in the later stages of fieldwork often attempt refusal conversions. However, reestablishing contact with units that have refused participation at prior stages of fieldwork may prove costly and time consuming. In this article, the potential of using a refusal conversion procedure in a single contact is investigated. In a mixed-mode survey of young adults in Iceland, individuals who were contacted by telephone and refused participation were instantly offered the option of self-completing the survey on the web at their time of choice. Results indicate that this procedure can meaningfully improve response rates in a survey of young adults in Iceland. The additional respondents gathered using this procedure were mostly similar to those who responded by using other modes when considering demographic background and responses to survey items.