Short Take: Do Postal Stamps (Still) Lead to a Higher Response Rate? An Empirical Test in Belgium

Autor/inn/en	Hooghe, Marc; Stiers, Dieter
Titel	Short Take: Do Postal Stamps (Still) Lead to a Higher Response Rate? An Empirical Test in Belgium
Quelle	In: Field Methods, 35 (2023) 1, S.64-72 (9 Seiten) PDF als Volltext Verfügbarkeit
Sprache	englisch
Dokumenttyp	gedruckt; online; Zeitschriftenaufsatz
ISSN	1525-822X
DOI	10.1177/1525822X211072350
Schlagwörter	Mail Surveys; Response Rates (Questionnaires); High School Teachers; Foreign Countries; Validity; Research Problems; Research Design; Belgium + Suchen Sie Ihr Suchwort? Erhebungsinstrument; Antwortkontrolle; High school; High schools; Teacher; Teachers; Oberschule; Lehrer; Lehrerin; Lehrende; Ausland; Gültigkeit; Forschungskritik; Forschungsdesign; Belgien
Abstract	When conducting a postal survey, a traditional recommendation is to use paper postage stamps instead of an automated postage system, to make sure that invitations have a more personal and attractive appearance. In this research note, we investigate whether this traditional recommendation is still valid. In the autumn of 2020, a postal survey was conducted among high-school teachers in Belgium strictly adhering to the Dillman protocol. The overall response rate was 43.4%. Invitations with a real paper postage stamp had a three-percentage points higher response rate (44.9% versus 41.8%), but this difference proved not to be significant. There are no significant gender or age differences between the groups. In addition, the presence or absence of a paper stamp did not influence the respondents' choice for answering the questionnaire online or on paper, as those who received a stamped envelope were equally likely to choose the online answering tool. (As Provided).
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Erfasst von	ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Washington, DC
Update	2024/1/01