Maximising Survey Response Rate

Some of the techniques you can use to achieve the best possible response to your survey:

• Involve representatives of the target group in the project 
• Publicise the survey in advance 
• Make sure the survey is relevant to the people you ask to respond 
• Produce the questionnaire to a suitable standard How we can help 
• Make its size manageable; not intimidating 
• Promise confidentiality 
• Allow people to complete the survey in a way that suits them, on paper or the web
• Provide free postage 
• Provide an independent external agency to handle responses confidentially
• Set a suitable time limit 
• Issue a reminder - preferably with a further copy of the questionnaire
• Offer incentives if possible 
• Provide suitable feedback of results 
• Take action on the results and publicise it 

Some of these are mutually exclusive. For example, if you make a survey genuinely confidential, informants are anonymous, and you can't send reminders, or offer any incentive for responses received.