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[Efforts to increase the response to mailed questionnaires]
1Ortopedisk avdeling, St. Olavs Hospital, 7006 Trondheim, Norge. vilh.finsen@ntnu.no
Ugeskrift for Laeger
|January 5, 2011
Summary
Mailed questionnaire response rates increase with monetary incentives in Scandinavia. A higher reward, such as 50 Norwegian kroner, significantly boosts replies compared to smaller amounts or no incentive.
Area of Science:
- Survey methodology
- Social sciences research
Context:
- Optimizing mailed questionnaire response rates is crucial for data validity.
- Previous studies indicate monetary rewards and shorter forms improve participation.
Purpose:
- To evaluate the effectiveness of monetary incentives and questionnaire length on mailed survey response rates in Scandinavia.
- To determine if these methods yield similar results in a Scandinavian context.
Summary:
- A study involving 2,800 participants (2,000 long, 800 short questionnaires) tested varying monetary rewards (1, 10, 50 NOK) against a control group.
- Short forms showed a statistically significant, though moderate, increase in response rate (59% vs. 54%).
- Monetary rewards significantly increased response rates, with 50 NOK yielding the highest return (74%).
Impact:
- Findings confirm that monetary incentives substantially improve survey participation in Scandinavia.
- A significant monetary reward is necessary to achieve a considerable increase in response rates.
- The study provides practical insights for researchers designing mailed surveys in similar cultural contexts.
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