Many students fear participating in a survey if the subject matter seems potentially damaging. For example, a student may refrain from taking a survey about a recent class experience if a truthful but negative response links the survey to the respondent's identity. Allowing for an anonymous response eliminates this possibility and encourages truthful answers, according to StatPac, a leading survey software creator. Make identifiable information optional and survey response rates for college likely increase.
Many factors, including lack of sleep, contribute to the decreased attention span of a college student, according to a 2004 article on the Ripon College website. Streamline the information and directions in the survey so the student easily gets to the point without confusion or the need to reread anything. If the questions run too long, generally more than 15-20 minutes, divide the survey into a series. Reduce the need for an increased attention span and attract more college student participation.
College students lead busy lives and rarely find the time to respond to a survey centered on information irrelevant to their day-to-day activities. Target the audience by creating surveys full of information familiar to college students. Choose a topic a college student has an interest in and that demonstrates the potential to change something for the better. For example, a survey about air quality becomes more enticing to a college student if it is about how air quality affects grades, study habits or test scores.
Incentives improve survey response rates. To see an increase in the number of college survey respondents, create an incentive that is worthwhile and geared for students. For example, a college student would likely choose to respond to a survey offering a gift certificate for groceries rather than one providing a free home inspection. Change the incentives to motivate students to participate. Provide multiple choices to reach a wider audience and improve the survey response rates further.