The influence of advance letters on response in telephone surveys a meta-analysis

Public Opinion Quarterly

Volumn 71, Issue 3, 2007, Pages 413-443

  De Leeuw, Edith ^a   Callegaro, Mario ^b   Hox, Joop ^a   Korendijk, Elly ^a   Lensvelt Mulders, Gerty ^a  

^a UTRECHT UNIVERSITY   (Netherlands)

^b UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA LINCOLN   (United States)

Author keywords

[No Author keywords available]

Indexed keywords

EID: 34548738256     PISSN: 0033362X     EISSN: 15375331     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1093/poq/nfm014     Document Type: Review

References (59)

1. American Association for Public Opinion Research. 2006. Standard Definitions: Final Dispositions of Case Codes and Outcome Rates for Surveys, 4th ed. Lenexa KS: AAPOR
2. Australian Bureau of Statistics. 2002. "Advance Letters. An ABS Approach." Available at http://www.sch.abs.gov.au/SCH/A1610103.NSF/ ResearchPapers (accessed January 2006).
3. Brick, Michael J., and Mary A. Collins. 1997. "A Response Rate Experiment for RDD Surveys." In Proceedings of the 52nd Annual Conference of the American Association for Public Opinion Research, pp. 1052-58. Alexandria, VA: American Statistical Association.
4. Camburn, Donald, Paul J. Lavrakas, Michael P. Battaglia, James T. Massey, and Robert A. Wright. 1995. "Using Advance Respondent Letters in Random-Digit-Dialing Telephone Surveys." In Proceedings of the 50th Annual Conference of the American Association for Public Opinion Research, pp. 969-74. Alexandria, VA: American Statistical Association.
5. Cantor, David, Barbara C. O'Hare, and Kathleen S. O'Connor. 2006. "The Use of Monetary Incentives to Reduce Nonresponse in Random Digit Telephone Surveys." Paper presented at the second international conference on telephone survey methodology (TSM II), January 11-15, Miami, FL.
6. Cialdini, Robert B. 1984. Influence: The New Psychology of Modern Persuasion. New York: Quill.
7. Collins, Martin, Wendy Sykes, Paul Wilson, and Norah Blackshaw. 1988. "Nonresponse: The UK Experience." In Telephone Survey Methodology, eds. Robert M. Groves, Paul P. Biemer, Lars E. Lyberg, James T. Massey, William. L. Nicholls, II, and Joseph Waksberg, pp. 213-31. New York: Wiley.
8. Couper, Mick P., and Edith D. De Leeuw. 2003. "Nonresponse in Cross-Cultural and Cross-National Surveys." In Cross-Cultural Survey Methods, eds. Janet Harkness, Fons J. R. Van de Vijver, and Peter Ph. Mohler, pp. 157-77. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley.
9. De Leeuw, Edith. D. 1992. Data Quality in Mail, Telephone, andFace-to-Face Surveys. Amsterdam: TT-Publikaties.
10. De Leeuw, Edith D., and Wim de Heer. 2002. "Trends in Household Survey Nonresponse: A Longitudinal and International Comparison." In Survey Nonresponse, eds. Robert M. Groves, Don. Dillman, John. L. Eltinge, and Roderick J. A. Little, pp. 4.1-54. New York: Wiley.
11. De Leeuw, Edith D., and Joop J. Hox. 2003. "The Use of Meta-Analysis in Cross National. Studies." In Cross-Cultural Survey Methods, eds. Janet Harkness, Fons J. R. van de Vijver, and Peter Ph. Mohler, pp. 329-45. New York: Wiley.
12. De Leeuw, Edith D., and Joop J. Hox. 2004. "I Am Not Selling Anything. 29 Experiments in Telephone Introductions." International Journal of Public Opinion Research 16(4):464-73.
13. De Leeuw, Edith D., and Johannes Van der Zouwen. 1988. "Data Quality in Telephone and Face to Face Surveys: A Comparative Meta Analysis." In Telephone Survey Methodology, eds. Robert M. Groves, Paul P. Biemer, Lars E. Lyberg, James T. Massey, William. L. Nicholls U, and Joseph. Waksberg, pp. 283-99. New York: Wiley.
14. Dijkstra, Wil, and Johannes H. Smith. 2002. "Persuading Reluctant Recipients in Telephone Surveys." In Survey Nonresponse, eds. Robert M. Groves, Don Dillman, John L. Eltinge, and Roderick J. A. Little, pp. 121-34. New York: Wiley.
15. Dillman, Don A. 1978. Mail and Telephone Surveys. The Total Design Method. New York: Wiley.
16. Dillman, Don A. 2000. Mailandinternet Surveys. The Tailored Design Method. 2nd ed. New York: Wiley.
17. Dillman, Don A. 2002. "Navigating the Rapids of Change: Some Observations on Survey Methodology in the Early 21st Century." Public Opinion Quarterly 66(3):473-94.
18. Dillman, Don, Jean Gordon Gallegos, and James H. Frey. 1976. "Reducing Refusal Rates for Telephone Interviews." Public Opinion Quarterly 40(1):66-78.
19. Fielder, Eve P., and Linda B. Bouque. 2002. How to Conduct Telephone Surveys. 2nd ed. Newbury Park: Sage.
20. Frey, James H. 1989. Survey Research by Telephone. 2nd ed. Newbury Park, CA: Sage.
21. Goldstein, Kenneth M., and Kent M. Jennings. 2002. "The Effect of Advance Letters on Cooperation in a List Sample Telephone Survey." Public Opinion Quarterly 66(4):608-17.
22. Goyder, John. 1987. The Silent Minority: Nonrespondents on Sample Surveys. Cambridge: Polity Press.
23. Groupe d'analyse des comportements sexuels en. France (ASCF-Group). 1992. "Analysis of Sexual Behavior in France (ASCF): What Kind of Advance Letter Increases the Acceptance Rate in a Telephone Survey Behavior." Bulletin de Methodologies Sociologique 35(June):46-54.
24. Groves, Robert M., Robert B. Cialdini, and Mick P. Couper. 1992. "Understanding the Decision to Participate in a Survey." Public Opinion Quarterly 56(4):475-95.
25. Groves, Robert M., and Mick P. Couper. 1998. Nonresponse in Household Interview Surveys. New York: Wiley.
26. Groves, Robert M., and Katherine A. McGonagle. 2001. "A Theory-Guided Interviewer Training Protocol Regarding Survey Participation." Journal of Official Statistics 17(2):249-65.
27. Groves, Robert M., Barbara C. O'Hare, Dottye Gould-Smith, Andy McCann, Sue Ellen Hansen, José Benkí, and Patty Maher. 2006. "Telephone Interviewer Voice Characteristics and the Survey Participation Decision." Paper presented at the second international conference on telephone survey methodology (TSM II), January 11-15, Miami, FL.
28. Groves, Robert M., and Cecilia Snowden. 1987. "The Effects of Advance Letters on Response Rates in Linked Telephone Surveys." In Proceedings of the Section on Survey Research Methods of the American Statistical Association, pp. 633-38. Alexandria, VA: American Statistical Association.
29. Heberlein, Thomas A., and Robert B. Baumgartner. 1978. "Factors Affecting Response Rates to Mailed Questionnaires: A Quantitative Analysis of the Published Literature." American Sociological Review 43(4):447-62.
30. Heberlein, Thomas A., and Robert B. Baumgartner. 1981. "The Effectiveness of the Heberlein-Baumgartner Models for Predicting Response Rates to Mailed Questionnaires: European and US Examples." American Sociological Review 46(3):363-67.
31. Hembroff, Larry A., Debra Rusz, Ann Rafferty, Harry Mcgee, and Nathaniel Ehrlich. 2005. "The Cost-Effectiveness of Alternative Advance Mailings in a Telephone Survey." Public Opinion Quarterly 69(2):232-45.
32. Hox, Joop J. 2002. Multilevel Analysis. Techniques and Applications. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.
33. Hox, Joop J., and Edith D. De Leeuw. 2003. "Multilevel Models for Meta-Analysis." In Multilevel Modelling: Methodological Advances, Issues, and Applications, eds. Steven P. Reise and Naihua Duan, pp. 90-111. Mahawah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.
34. Hox, Joop J., Edith D. De Leeuw, and Ger Snijkers. 1998. "Fighting Nonresponse in Telephone Interviews; Successful Interviewer Tactics." In Nonresponse in Survey Research. Zuma Spezial Band 4, eds. A. Koch and R. Porst, pp. 173-85. Mannheim: ZUMA.
35. Iredell H., T. Shaw, P. Howatt, R. James, and J. Granich. 2004. "Introductory Postcards: Do They Increase Response Rate in a Telephone Survey of Older Persons?" Health Education Research 19(2):159-64.
36. Khursid, Anwer, and Hardeo Sahai. 1995. "A Bibliography of Telephone Survey Methodology." Journal of Official Statistics 11(3):325-67.
37. Lavrakas, Paul J. 1993. Telephone Survey Methods. Sampling, Selection, and Supervision. 2nd ed. Newbury Park, CA: Sage.
38. Lensvelt-Mulders, Gerty J. L. M., Joop J. Hox, Peter G. M. Van der Heijden, and Cora J. M. Maas. 2005. "Meta Analysis of Randomized Response Research: 35 Years of Validation." Sociological Methods and Research 33(3):319-48.
39. Link, Michael W. 2004. Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System. Report of Findings from Advance Letter Response Rate Experiment: Report of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Division of Adult and Community Health, NCCDPHP Behavioral Surveillance Branch.
40. Link, Michael W., and Ali Mokdad. 2005. "Advance Letters as a Means of Improving Respondent Cooperation in Random Digit Dial Studies. A Multistate Experiment." Public Opinion Quarterly 69(4):572-87.
41. Lipsey, Mark W., and David B. Wilson. 2001. Practical Meta-Analysis. Thousands Oaks: Sage.
42. Luppes, Martin. 1995. "A Content Analysis of Advance Letters from Expenditure Surveys of Seven Countries." Journal of Official Statistics 11(4):461-80.
43. Mann, Christopher B. 2005a. "Do Advance Letters Improve Preelection Forecast Accuracy?" Public Opinion Quarterly 69(4):561-71.
44. Mann, Christopher B. 2005b. "Prenotification Letters." In Polling America: An Encycplopedia of Public Opinion, eds. Samuel J. Best and Benjamin Radcliff, pp. 556-71. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press.
45. Massey, James T., Dan O'Connor, and Karol Krotki. 1997. "Response Rates in Random Digit Dialing (RDD) Telephone Surveys." In Proceedings on the Section on Survey Research Methods of the American Statistical Association, pp. 707-12. Alexandria, VA: American Statistical Association.
46. Nathan, Gad. 2001. "Telesurvey Methodologies for Household Surveys: A Review and Some Thoughts for the Future." Survey Methodology 27(1):7-31.
47. Oksenberg, Lois, and Charles Cannell. 1988. "Effects of Interviewer Vocal Characteristics on Nonresponse," In Telephone Survey Methodology, eds. Robert M. Groves, Paul P. Biemer, Lars E. Lyberg, James T. Massey, William. L. Nicholls, II, and Joseph Waksberg, pp. 257-69. New York: Wiley.
48. Parsons, Jennifer, Linda Owens, and Wes Skogan. 2002. "Using Advance Letters in RDD Surveys: Results of Two Experiments." Survey Research Newsletter 33(1):1-2.
49. Pondman, Lisette M. 1998. The Influence of the Interviewer on the Refusal Rate in Telephone Surveys. Ph.D. dissertation, Vrijre Universiteit, Amsterdam.
50. Raudenbush, Stephen W., and Anthony S. Bryk. 2002. Hierarchical Linear Modeling. Thousands Oaks: Sage.
51. Selden, Catherine Roos. 1992. "Meta-Analysis. January 1980 Through December 1992." Current Bibliographies in Medicine 92-13. Available at http://www.nlm.nih.gov/archive/20040830/pubs/cbm/metaanal.html (accessed January 2006).
52. Singer, Eleanor. 2002. "The Use of Incentives to Reduce Nonresponse in Households Surveys." In Survey Nonresponse, eds. Robert M. Groves, Don Dillman, John L. Eltinge, and Roderick J. A. Little, pp. 163-78. New York: Wiley.
53. Singer, Eleanor, Nancy Gebler, Trivellore Raghunathan, John VanHoewyk, and Katherine A. McGonagle. 1999. "The Effect of Incentives in Interviewer-Mediated Survey." Journal of Official Statistics 15(2):217-30.
54. Singer, Eleanor, John Van Hoewyk, and Mary P. Maher. 2000. "Experiments with Incentives in Telephone Surveys." Public Opinion Quarterly 64(2):171-88.
55. Snow, Robert E., Joames E. Prather, and John D. Hutcheson, Jr. 1986. "Program Evaluating Using a Follow-Up Telephone Survey. The Effect, of Prior Letter." Evaluation Review 10(1):85-94.
56. Steeh, Charlotte, Nicole Kirgis, Brian Cannon, and Jeff DeWitt. 2001. "Are They Really as Bad as They Seem? Nonresponse Rates at the End of the Twentieth Century." Journal of Official Statistics 17(2):227-47.
57. Tabachnick, Barbara G., and Linda S. Fidell. 2001. Using Multivariate Statistics. 4th ed. Boston: Allyn and Bacon.
58. Traugott, Michael W., Robert M. Groves, and James M. Lepkowski. 1987. "Using Dual Frame Designs to Reduce Nonresponse in Telephone Surveys." Public Opinion Quarterly 51(4):522-39.
59. White, Amanda, Jean Martin, Nikki Bennett, and Stephanie Freeth. 1998. "Improving Advance Letters for Major Government Surveys." In Nonresponse in Sumey Research. Zuma Spezial Band 4, eds. A. Koch, and R. Porst, pp. 151-71. Mannheim: ZUMA.