Increasing the response rates of reluctant professionals to mail surveys

Empirically supported strategies that can be used to address response rate and decreasing response bias are described within the larger context of the generalizability of research findings.

Abstract

M AXIMIZING response rates and substantiating the validity of research findings are important issues in survey research. These issues are of particular concern when one is interested in eliciting the participation of professionals to respond to such surveys. The reluctance of professionals to respond to mail surveys has been documented by several authors (Deutscher, 1956; Lang, 1981; Shosteck & Fairweather, 1979; Sudman 1985). Professionals are unlike members of the general population, thereby requiting different incentives and information to elicit their cooperation. Although only a few studies have examined the effectiveness of specific strategies for gaining the cooperation of specific professional populations, these studies do provide some guidance for survey researchers. Those choosing to survey health care professionals may find that incorporating these techniques will increase response rates and increase the validity and credibility of their research results. Even after employing well-planned strategies to maximize the participation rate of professionals in a mail survey, a response rate less than 100% is generally expected. To identify a potential systematic response bias, the data of both respondents and nonrespondents should be examined. Maximizing response rate and decreasing response bias are extremely important within the larger context of the generalizability of research findings. The purpose of this article is to identify and describe empirically supported strategies that can be used to address these issues.