MDC Resource Science Mail vs. Email A Pulse Check on Surveys s e t o N e c A Sant':, b:, •~ \II\\Mr1 Drp•mw•••rf'•u-wn-., ... n __ .. _______ __ e ,.._.-~_..,._.m,... .....:.-,..1. ,__,...1_ ·.... 1. .... ._.. ., ....._..., ....#i ....-.... . .._._.__.. ..._ ,. .._. ..~.._ __.,,__._ _- ._ O_.-O._-l_ __i UO.YT.._. _.:.C... J,_ . I..C.. _. ...T..._A.,.~..._•.T....n .i l.&....M..,.. "S..__c _a..,a_. .._L, a_R _&__ _ i ._.,_ ~.._. ... ,.,,_. ............ ~ ..l,t_l,, .\ Jh.'I_ N.,r.i_ °,"w1"• I•IH••l1n1-Ompi.•.-M.M S•an,1tyM c L .~......_....• . ..._........._ _ _• ._ ..., -_._Jio...M--~ f.6..,,.i. _ ___. . _..,,_.:. t.o, _r, .,._. .. l'U.Ul.U.ll>flf_IUIIO'.'-H S --~1:12:t 1-,-,--C"IJ,o tH, 1-.._._u. ,._.. .__.,-C..-._D..-o._.l."_.l.t._.t. ._. ~_-_" ...,.-it_..., ~- 0.....-......_ .. _ ........ ,...._..,.._ a..-,._~ Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) 2018 VOLUME 13 NO. 1 Mail vs. Email - A Pulse Check on Surveys By: Ron Reitz and Tom Treiman Information Need: Online surveys allow a nuanced look at response With nearly every survey Resource Science Division rates, showing that over half of recipients who opened conducts, administration, budgeters, and staff ask the email responded (Table 3). Small percentages had “Wouldn’t online surveys save MDC money?” and we “bad” email addresses or opted out. respond, “It depends!” Online surveys have become attractive as a presumably economical way to Table 3. Response rates by survey type. measure constituents’ preferences, opinions, and Survey Bad Opted Opened Responded attitudes. However, issues such as non-response Email Out Email to Email bias, sample validity, and sampling error due to Firearms I1 .7% I1 .0% I5 7.7% I2 7.0% internet access differences in the population can have Opinion 2.1% 1.5% 60.7% 30.5% effects on representativeness, reliability, and Looking at responses to key questions by mail vs. accuracy. We examined response rates, responses, email reveals very few substantive differences. On the demographics, and potential sources of bias in the firearms survey, both mail and email groups hunted 2016 post-season firearms deer and deer hunter mostly on private land, desired a stable or increasing opinion surveys using 1) a mail-back paper survey deer population, and had only small, non-substantive and 2) an online survey sent to a sample of those with differences in perceptions of deer populations and an email address in the point-of-sale (POS) system. whether they hunted in 2016. On the opinion survey, the groups showed no difference on where they Results: hunted, perceptions of deer population, and only Deer permit holders with emails tended to be slightly small, non-substantive differences in perceptions of younger and fewer lived in rural areas than those MDC’s deer management success. There was a without email addresses (Table 1). Both groups were significant and substantive difference in support for overwhelmingly male. the four-point regulation, with 70.1% support from the email survey and 55.5% from the mail survey. Table 1. Permit holder information. 2016 Deer Permit Buyers No Email Email Discussion: Percent Male 82.7% 83.2% When will it be appropriate to transition to different Percent Rural 80.1% 73.8% I I survey modes, like email, text, and app? These Average Age (years) 43.1 37.2 decisions may be driven by influencers such as the Response rates varied between 27% for the online future of the postal service system, innovations in firearms survey to 38% for the mail firearms survey technology, decline in survey response, and public (Table 2). Respondents were older, less rural, and acceptability of unsolicited surveys. Will it be more male than non-respondents. acceptable to systematically eliminate a portion of our sampling frame that may not have online access? Given that many survey methods are now experiencing low response rates and are becoming Table 2. Response rates by survey type and mode. more costly to conduct, and Response Percent Percent Average Survey Mode Group that no method may truly Rate Male Rural Age (yrs) represent the population of Respondent 87.0% 73.5% 51.7 Mail 34.8% interest, it may make Non-respondent 81.9% 79.5% 39.9 economic (and practical) Firearms Respondent 89.3% 68.6% 44.0 sense to use the most Email 27.0% Non-respondent 83.4% 75.8% 38.6 economical method(s) Respondent 84.0% 78.3% 50.9 available, as long as the Mail 38.0% population may be effectively Non-respondent 78.6% 83.3% 38.8 Opinion sampled. Respondent 90.9% 67.5% 44.6 Email 30.5% Non-respondent 81.3% 76.8% 39.3 For more information, contact: Missouri Department of Conservation Keywords: Surveys, Human Dimensions, Internet, Deer Hunting Resource Science Division 2901 West Truman Blvd. Jefferson City, MO 65109 2018 VOLUME 13 NO. 1 573-751-4115 [email protected]