This is the type of questionnaire thats fully constructed and sent by the researcher by mail to the respondents who are expected to fill it and send it back to the researcher by post or email.
What Is A Mail Questionnaire?
The main advantage of mail questionnaires is that a wide geographical area can be covered in the survey. They are mailed to the respondents who can complete them at their convenience in their homes and at their own pace. However the return rates of mail questionnaire are typically low. A 30% response rate is considered acceptable. Another disadvantage of the mail questionnaire is that any doubts the respondents might have cannot be clarified.
Also with very low return rates it is difficult to establish the representatives of the sample because those responding to the survey may not at all represent the population they are supposed to. However some effective techniques can be employed for improving the rates of response to mail questionnaires. Sending follow-up letters, enclosing some small monetary amounts as incentives with the questionnaire providing the respondent with self-addressed, stamped return envelopes and keeping the questionnaire brief do indeed help.
Mail questionnaire are also expected to meet with a better response rate when respondents are notified in advance about the forthcoming survey and a reputed research organization administers them with its own introductory cover letter. The choice of using the questionnaire as a data gathering method might be restricted if the researcher has to reach subjects with very little education.
Also with very low return rates it is difficult to establish the representatives of the sample because those responding to the survey may not at all represent the population they are supposed to. However some effective techniques can be employed for improving the rates of response to mail questionnaires. Sending follow-up letters, enclosing some small monetary amounts as incentives with the questionnaire providing the respondent with self-addressed, stamped return envelopes and keeping the questionnaire brief do indeed help.
Mail questionnaire are also expected to meet with a better response rate when respondents are notified in advance about the forthcoming survey and a reputed research organization administers them with its own introductory cover letter. The choice of using the questionnaire as a data gathering method might be restricted if the researcher has to reach subjects with very little education.
