Abstract
The response rate in mail surveys has been steadily declining. This decline has led those who perform surveys to look for more cost-effective methods to increase response rates. Previous research has shown that a number of factors can influence the respondents and their response to survey questionnaires. This research extends the previous research by presenting the effect of a set of variables and their interactions on the response rate of a mail survey. These variables were perceived ethnicity and sex of the investigator, the formality of the covering letter, and the order of questions in the questionnaire. As in previous studies, findings suggest that the response rate increases when an informal letter is written to solicit the response and questions easier to respond to are first. This study yielded no significant difference in the response rate, however, when perceived race of investigator was African-American, white, or other than Spanish. The best response rate was obtained when an informal request covering letter was signed by an African-American female investigator and was accompanied by a questionnaire in which questions easier to respond to were put first.
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