title: Effect of respondent code location on survey response rate.
abstract: Survey response rates were examined for differences based on the location of the respondent code, a numerical code placed on the survey versus a numerical code placed on the return envelope. A four-page survey on criteria and procedures used when hiring health education faculty members was mailed to program coordinators of university health education programs (N = 223). Half of the coordinators (n = 112) received coded surveys (surveys that had a written overt three-digit code at the top right corner of the first page of the survey). The other half of the coordinators (n = 111) received coded return envelopes (return envelopes with a six-digit code typed directly under the return mailing address). A total of 132 coordinators returned completed surveys (62%). Response rate did not differ significantly based on placement of respondent code. Survey researchers are thus recommended to devote their efforts to other inducement strategies to increase response rates.
authors.affiliation: Health Promotion and Education Program, University of Cincinnati, OH 45221-0068, USA. keith.king@uc.edu
authors.forename: Keith A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: King
authors.forename: Rebecca A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Vidourek
mesh_terms: D003625:Data Collection / Q000379:methods* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D012107:Research Design / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires