Trial reportBMC medical research methodology2011
Effect of questionnaire length, personalisation and reminder type on response rate to a complex postal survey: randomised controlled trial.
Trial report in BMC medical research methodology, 2011. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 144 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
144 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 364 citations in OpenAlex.
- Methods to increase response to postal and electronic questionnaires.The Cochrane database of systematic reviews · 2023Pooled it
- A photograph of the researcher on the invitation letter did not affect the participation rate of a postal survey: a randomized study within a trial (SWAT).BMC medical research methodology · 2022Trial
- Effects of different invitation strategies on participation in a cohort study of Iranian public sector employees: a cluster randomized trial.BMC medical research methodology · 2021Trial
- Behavioral interventions to improve population health outreach for hepatitis C screening: randomized clinical trial.BMJ (Clinical research ed.) · 2021Trial
- Randomized controlled comparison of cross-sectional survey approaches to optimize follow-up completeness in clinical studies.PloS one · 2019Trial
- Effects of pre-notification, invitation length, questionnaire length and reminder on participation rate: a quasi-randomised controlled trial.BMC medical research methodology · 2018Trial
- Trial
- Population Survey Features and Response Rates: A Randomized Experiment.American journal of public health · 2016Trial
- Personalized contact strategies and predictors of time to survey completion: analysis of two sequential randomized trials.BMC medical research methodology · 2015Trial
- Using postal questionnaires to evaluate physical activity and diet behaviour change: case study exploring implications of valid responder characteristics in interpreting intervention outcomes.BMC research notes · 2014Trial
- The Devon Active Villages Evaluation (DAVE) trial of a community-level physical activity intervention in rural south-west England: a stepped wedge cluster randomised controlled trial.The international journal of behavioral nutrition and physical activity · 2014Trial
- Personal, social, and environmental correlates of physical activity in adults living in rural south-west England: a cross-sectional analysis.The international journal of behavioral nutrition and physical activity · 2013Trial
- The effect of reminders in a web-based intervention study.European journal of epidemiology · 2012Trial
- Understanding nonresponse and strategies to improve response rates in a randomized controlled trial among breast cancer survivors: the FASTRACS-INSIGHT mixed-methods study.Journal of cancer survivorship : research and practice · 2026Article
- Development and Validation of the Shorter Versions of the Patient Care Ownership Scale for Use in Japan.JMA journal · 2026Article
- Self-reported pelvic floor dysfunction 12 months after an obstetric anal sphincter injury in relation to maternal body mass index.Acta obstetricia et gynecologica Scandinavica · 2026Article
- Development and evaluation of a 15-item health literacy classification model using integrated psychometric approaches in China.BMC public health · 2026Article
- Survey of Norwegian orthodontists on the use of temporary anchorage devices.BMC oral health · 2026Article
- Observational
- Article
84 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
7 authors at 4 institutions in 2 countries.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundMinimising participant non-response in postal surveys helps to maximise the generalisability of the inferences made from the data collected. The aim of this study was to examine the effect of questionnaire length, personalisation and reminder type on postal survey response rate and quality and to compare the cost-effectiveness of the alternative survey strategies.
methodsIn a pilot study for a population study of travel behaviour, physical activity and the environment, 1000 participants sampled from the UK edited electoral register were randomly allocated using a 2×2 factorial design to receive one of four survey packs: a personally addressed long (24 page) questionnaire pack, a personally addressed short (15 page) questionnaire pack, a non-personally addressed long questionnaire pack or a non-personally addressed short questionnaire pack. Those who did not return a questionnaire were stratified by initial randomisation group and further randomised to receive either a full reminder pack or a reminder postcard. The effects of the survey design factors on response were examined using multivariate logistic regression.
resultsAn overall response rate of 17% was achieved. Participants who received the short version of the questionnaire were more likely to respond (OR=1.48, 95% CI 1.06 to 2.07). In those participants who received a reminder, personalisation of the survey pack and reminder also increased the odds of response (OR=1.44, 95% CI 1.01 to 1.95). Item non-response was relatively low, but was significantly higher in the long questionnaire than the short (9.8% vs 5.8%; p=.04). The cost per additional usable questionnaire returned of issuing the reminder packs was £23.1 compared with £11.3 for the reminder postcards.
conclusionsIn contrast to some previous studies of shorter questionnaires, this trial found that shortening a relatively lengthy questionnaire significantly increased the response. Researchers should consider the trade off between the value of additional questions and a larger sample. If low response rates are expected, personalisation may be an important strategy to apply. Sending a full reminder pack to non-respondents appears a worthwhile, albeit more costly, strategy.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.