Survey Practice This Month

This month, Survey Practice brings back the Ask the Experts column. Aaron Maitland wrote a short review of the recent literature on labeling scale points for attitude questions.

Ineke Stoop presents some evidence from surveys where attempts to increase response were successful. The paper shows that data quality can be improved with targeted efforts to improve response but that simply increasing response does not necessarily improve the data.

In mail surveys, a particular challenge is to create mail materials that are opened by the sample member. In the article by Emily McFarlane and her colleagues, they show that neither using a stamp instead of metered mail, nor using personalized stickers had any effect on response rates.

We also include in this issue, a short summary of changes to Survey Practice that the editors and the Survey Practice Advisory Board are considering.