Questionnaire Survey Nonresponse: A Comparison of Postal Mail and Internet Surveys

Abstract

Rapid advances in computer technology, and more specifically the Internet, have spurred the use of the Internet surveys for data collection. However, there are some concerns about low response rates in studies that use the Internet as a medium. The question is whether the lessons learned in the past decades to improve rates in postal mail surveys can also be applied to increase response rates in Internet surveys. After all, the Internet is a completely new medium with its own “rules” and even its own (n)etiquette. This article examines 29 studies that directly compared different survey modes (postal mail, fax, e-mail, and Web-based surveys) with more than 15,000 respondents. Factors that can increase response rates and response quality when using Internet surveys, compared to mail surveys, are discussed. Finally, the research that can contribute to increase response rates in Internet surveys is examined.