Response Rates
The response rate is the percentage of people who complete and return a survey. For example, in a web-based questionnaire, the response rate would be calculated by dividing the number of people who responded to the questionnaires by the total number people who received it. If 100 people were sent the questionnaire and 72 people responded, that would be a 72% response rate (72/100).
The response rate you may expect will depend on many factors, but aim for the highest response rate possible. In some cases, 80% or more can be expected, while sometimes, a lower response rate may be adequate. Discuss the acceptable rate with stakeholders in advance, considering the nature of the sample, past experience (if you have it), the method the questionnaire will be administered, and other relevant factors. Typically, you can expect a higher response rate when surveying a group of people invested in your work (e.g., a survey of coalition members or program participants) than you would expect for a broader community survey. If you expect a poor response rate, you might need to increase the sample size or to offer an incentive for completing the questionnaire.
If needed, you could use one or more follow-up reminders or resend the questionnaire with the reminders to increase response rate. Most commercial, web-based survey programs have an email reminder feature built-in.
Northwest Center for Public Health Practice (2011). Data collection for program evaluation.
Sampling
