Notes and Responses Regarding Surveys that Need Cooperation from Participants

Abstract

The environment surrounding surveys requiring the cooperation of participants has been changing, with increasing awareness of the need to protect personal information and the use of online surveys. Issues such as how to respond to inquiries from participants, what should be communicated to relevant bodies in advance about the survey, and how to provide incentives and feedback to participants are important to ease tension and prevent conflicts between participants and researchers, or between researchers and relevant bodies, and to increase the public trust in researchers and the science. Based on the authors’ experiences, this letter summarizes notes for conducting surveys that require participants’ cooperation. As the social impact of research has been gaining increasing attention, it is expected that practical tips and views on conducting field surveys are widely shared.