E-mail and mixed mode database surveys revisited: Exploratory analyses of factors affecting response rates

Abstract

Two studies were conducted to test for factors affecting the overall response rates of e-mail and mixed-mode surveys. The surveys were directed at association executives who were asked to respond about the characteristics of their associations and their members.The first study was international, involving association executives from six continents and 29 countries. It showed that the response rates were poor overall, with ‘undeliverable’ addresses as a potential problem. This global sampling frame was found to be unfeasible, given the very low response rates from association executives in most countries.The subsequent study used a mixed mode approach and focused on executives within just the USA. The data collection process was specifically designed, in part, to enable certain comparisons among different e-mail survey options (eg degree of personalisation), as well as the core comparison of e-mail versus regular mail, with respect to response rates and other items of interest. Specifically, the authors found the response rate to be much higher for surveys mailed (versus e- mailed) to informants. Lottery incentives did not increase response rates for e-mail surveys. Only a small percentage (2.2 per cent) of informants who were mailed the ‘paper’ version of the questionnaire chose to fill it in online. On the other hand, none of the informants receiving the e-mail version of the questionnaire asked for the paper version.There was no significant difference between the response rate for embedded versus attached e-mails; there was a marginally significant increase in response rate for personalised e-mails over that for non-personalised e-mail solicitations. Finally, the implications of these findings for using e-mail and mixed mode methodologies are addressed.