Mailing campaigns are a way to keep longitudinal survey respondents engaged. While mailings usually include a survey answer request, sometimes respondents are contacted between-waves to update contact information or simply to keep respondent contact. Research on the actual impact of these between-wave contacts on response rates is scarce. This…

When conducting a postal survey, a traditional recommendation is to use paper postage stamps instead of an automated postage system, to make sure that invitations have a more personal and attractive appearance. In this research note, we investigate whether this traditional recommendation is still valid. In the autumn of 2020, a postal survey was…

For hard-to-survey populations such as ethnic minorities and immigrants, increasing survey response rates is a crucial element of the fieldwork as these populations often show a higher likelihood of not participating compared with the native population. However, no study has so far compared different strategies for mobilisation within this group.…

Reluctance of respondents to participate in surveys has long drawn the attention of survey researchers. Yet, little is known about what drives a respondent's decision to answer the survey invitation early or late during the field period. Moreover, we still lack evidence on response timing in longitudinal surveys. That is, the questions on whether…

While many studies examine tools and techniques to improve survey response rates, it remains unclear as to which are effective, and response rates continue to decline. In this study, we examine the effect of four variables expected to influence mail survey response rates: (1) the use of semi-transparent envelopes versus ordinary paper envelopes…

The mail survey is a popular data collection tool in developed countries, but little is known about its use and efficacy in developing countries. Grounded on social exchange and diffusion of innovations theories, this study sought to ascertain whether the mail survey works in Nepal -- one of the developing countries, by looking at how long…

While mail surveys are common in many developed countries, it is still a new method in other, often less-developed countries. This study explores the feasibility of mail surveys in urban China. We conducted an experiment manipulating delivery method (regular mail vs. courier delivery service) and incentive payment (prepaid vs. no incentive) using…

Background: Children with developmental disabilities who exhibit challenging behaviour are potentially subject to the use of coercive interventions. The aim of the study was to investigate the prevalence of the use of coercive measures by authorities, according to parents' reports. Materials and Methods: A postal survey was distributed, as a total…

This paper analyses the quality of information collected by a self-administered survey responded to by a general population, who were offered the possibility of answering using the post or Internet. The analysis will be focused on the use of three grid questions with using rating scales with 6, 6 and 8 items, respectively. There was a polar point…

Introduction: We report results of a study of how ordering and reading of printouts of medical records by regular and inexperienced readers relate to how the records are used, to the health information practices of patients, and to their expectations of the usefulness of new e-Health services and online access to medical records. Method: The study…

The present study investigated the time usage and levels of perceived stress, academic workload, and recreation time for 177 students at the University of Windsor before, during, and after Fall Reading Week (FRW). Over a three-week span (at various times of the day), students received a message to their smartphone to complete a 20-second survey…

Purpose: Despite the benefits of early planning for business succession, and plan implementation, many owners/managers fail to act expeditiously. Factors such as a reluctance to accept ageing, a concern over the risks involved and inappropriate objectives may be causative. This research moves towards explaining this reluctance and, consequently,…

This study evaluated three types of bias--total, measurement, and selection bias (SB)--in three sequential mixed-mode designs of the Dutch Crime Victimization Survey: telephone, mail, and web, where nonrespondents were followed up face-to-face (F2F). In the absence of true scores, all biases were estimated as mode effects against two different…

The study researched parent's experiences of The Children and Families Act 2014 in Hull and the East Riding of Yorkshire. A sample of parents using KIDS Services in the area were surveyed by questionnaire, both before and after the legislation came into force. Nearly half of the parents were aware of a change in Special Educational Needs and…

Objective: To describe the association between teachers' beliefs about medicines and teaching about illnesses and medicines-related topics by Finnish comprehensive school teachers. Design: A nationwide postal survey. Setting: Finnish primary and lower secondary school teachers. Method: Data were collected using a nationwide postal survey from a…