A New Approach to Mail Surveys: Aiming to Improve the Response Rate

Abstract

One of the challenges in establishing evidence-based policy making (EBPM) is the collection of good quality data that can be used as policy resources. However, the response rates of national and municipal public surveys and most social surveys/public opinion polls in Japan and abroad have declined, and this trend will inevitably continue in the future. In this sense, we believe that it is worthwhile to focus on mail surveys, which remain one of the most commonly used forms of self-administered surveys, in comparison to telephone and online formats, and to explore measures to improve their response rate. Mail surveys are commonly used in all areas of the social sciences, with a significant percentage of Japan’s public opinion polls being conducted via the postal service. While many studies examine tools and techniques to improve survey response rates, it remains unclear which are effective, and the response rates are continuing to decline. In this study, we discuss the effect of several variables expected to influence mail survey response rates.