Response Rates

Background

Although nonresponse has been studied since the 1940s, serious efforts to standardize the measurement of nonresponse have arisen only within the last quarter of the 20th century. Furthermore, the common use of standardized response rate measurements has not yet been fully realized throughout the survey research profession.

Traditionally, there has been a great deal of overlap and inconsistency in both the definitions and formulas used to understand the concept of response rates. These discrepancies present a difficulty to the survey research profession because they often confuse consumers of survey information. Using consistent outcome rates is important because it allows the level of nonresponse to be compared more easily between different surveys. This provides researchers and clients or other end-users with a meaningful target when planning the design of research. Equally as important, standard outcome rates offer an important benchmark for understanding how well surveys performed.

For example, a lack of consistency prohibits the accurate comparison of nonresponse between two unique surveys, obscures agreement in target levels of nonresponse in research proposals, and hampers methodological research exploring nonresponse error.

In response to the historical differences among response rate calculations, the survey research profession has gradually worked toward a uniformly accepted set of formulas and definitions for nonresponse. These efforts are now spearheaded by the American Association for Public Opinion Research (AAPOR), which maintains a series of definitions, formulas, and dispositions that are continuously updated to reflect new technologies and changes in the survey research profession.

Cooperation Rate; Leverage-Saliency Theory; Nonresponse; Nonresponse Bias; Post-Stratification; Propensity Scores; Refusal Conversion; Response

AAPOR Response Rates

AAPOR first published a series of response rates in 1998 for random-digit dialing and in-person surveys due to the concerted efforts of Tom. W. Smith and his colleagues. AAPOR based their development of the rates on the earlier work of the CASRO (Council of American Survey Research Organizations), which had published a set of formulas in 1982. Prior to that time, there had been numerous inquiries into the development of standards but no successful efforts put forth, at the association level, toward rate development.

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