How to Increase Response Rates to Postal Questionnaires

Add an Envelope Teaser

• 1

  Pick an appropriate "Teaser" statement to put on your questionnaire envelope. For example, if your questionnaire is about eczema, your teaser might be, "If you suffer from eczema, this might be for you."

• 2

  Print the teaser on your questionnaire envelopes, or place the teaser or stickers to be affixed to the envelope.

• 3

  Mail the questionnaire to the intended subjects.

Pre-Notification

• 4

  Obtain contact information for those you wish to mail questionnaires to.

• 5

  Contact the subjects and politely inform them that you intend to send them a questionnaire.

• 6

  Mail the questionnaire to the contacted subjects.

Shorter Questionnaires

• 7

  Review the questionnaire and determine what questions you can leave out, or include on another questionnaire in the future. A study performed by the University of York in the United Kingdom showed that response rates were higher for shorter questionnaires.

• 8

  Combine some questions to create new questions if necessary.

• 9

  Eliminate the unnecessary questions to create a shorter questionnaire.