Response Rates for Mixed-Mode Surveys Using Mail and E-mail/Web

Abstract

This study examines response rates for mixed-mode survey implementation involving mail and e-mail/Web components. Using Dillman's Tailored Design Method, 1,500 participants were sent a survey either (a) via mail with a follow-up contact via e-mail that directed them to a Web-based questionnaire or (b) via e-mail that directed them to a Web-based questionnaire with a follow-up contact via mail. Results indicate that these mixed-mode procedures produce moderately high response rates. However, the mail survey tended to be more effective than the e-mail/Web survey, when serving either as the initial contact or as the follow-up contact. These results suggest that survey implementation involving mail followed by e-mail/Web, or even mail-only approaches, may result in larger samples than implementation involving e-mail/Web followed by mail.

Multi-Institutional Study of Women and Underrepresented Minority Faculty Members in Academic Pharmacy

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“…8 In a comparative study, mailed surveys alone or combined with e-mail/web follow-up resulted in larger response rates than an e-mail-web survey followed up by a mailed contact to non-respondents. 8 Response rates to web and mailed survey instruments were both increased if preceded by a mailed contact to potential respondents. 9 Multiple contacts, appearance, incentives, personalization, and sponsorship have significant impacts on survey response rates.…”

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“…Use of a multimode approach has been suggested by some research to increase response rates (Converse, Wolfe, Huang, & Oswald 2008;Kroth et. al.…”

“…For the purpose of this study, a mail survey was chosen. The use of a mail survey allows for a broadly scattered population to be easily studied and tends to result in more consistent and generally higher response rates (Hartas 2010;Converse, Wolfe, Huang, & Oswald 2008;Rooke, Le, Littlejohn, & Dillman 2012). Thus, administrators and board members from across the Mid-America region can be easily analyzed where a face to face approach would not be practical.…”

“…In administering the survey some secretaries were even unwilling to provide the name of their board president forcing a few of the surveys to have to be addressed by title rather than name. In addition, the possibility of an e-mail or web based survey was rejected due to potential problems with response rate (Nulty 2008;Converse, Wolfe, Huang & Oswald 2008).…”