The effect of survey sponsor, questionnaire length, and anonymity on mail survey response rate and response speed

Abstract

Though considerable research has addressed the impact of various factors on mail survey response rate, relatively few have focused on the effects of survey sponsorship, questionnaire length, or open coding of questionnaires (for respondent identification purposes). Fewer still have investigated these factors' impacts on response speed. The results of this research suggest that sponsorship does influence return of a questionnaire, but that overt coding and questionnaire length do not adversely affect response rate or the speed with which questionnaires are returned. Indeed, questionnaire length may have the opposite of the expected effect.