Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Clinical Trial
. 1990 Mar;44(1):75-6.
doi: 10.1136/jech.44.1.75.

Does anonymity increase response rate in postal questionnaire surveys about sensitive subjects? A randomised trial

M J Campbell  1 , W E Waters
Affiliations
Clinical Trial

Does anonymity increase response rate in postal questionnaire surveys about sensitive subjects? A randomised trial

M J Campbell et al. J Epidemiol Community Health. 1990 Mar.

Abstract

Study objective: The aim of the study was to determine whether complete anonymity improves the response rates to a postal questionnaire.

Design: The study derived from a series of postal surveys on AIDS knowledge conducted on six different dates in 1986 and 1987. The sample was randomly divided into two, each group being sent the same questionnaire. One group was informed that the replies were anonymous, the other that they were not. The latter were sent reminders.

Setting: Recipients of the questionnaires were drawn from the Southampton electoral rolls.

Participants: 300 people in each survey (total 1800) were sent questionnaires, representing on each occasion a different 1:500 systematic sample.

Results: Response rate was 49% for the anonymous questionnaires and 51% for the numbered questionnaires. Reminders boosted the response in the numbered group to 72%.

Conclusions: There is no evidence that anonymity improves response to postal questionnaires, but the use of reminders may do so.

PubMed Disclaimer

References

    1. Arch Pediatr. 1962 Feb;79:45-50 - PubMed
    1. Int J Epidemiol. 1977 Mar;6(1):65-7 - PubMed
    1. J Epidemiol Community Health. 1985 Jun;39(2):183-4 - PubMed

Publication types