The SRC also conducts surveys by mail using printed questionnaires, a data collection method that often gets good response rates and is less expensive than telephone interviewing. Whenever possible, we use the method developed by Dillman, Smyth and Christian and described in the book Internet, Phone, Mail and Mixed Modes Surveys: The Tailored Design Method (2014). Questionnaire sheets or booklets are formatted to maximize comprehension, ease-of-use, encoded respondent identification, and accurate data entry.
The SRC uses Lorton Data to screen all address lists prior to mailing in order to update, correct and verify all valid address information and identify non-deliverable addresses that should not be used. As completed questionnaires are received, they are immediately date-stamped and logged into a tracking database to ensure that no additional follow-up efforts are expended for completed cases. Computerized data entry routines are used to ensure accurate key-entry of completed responses.