Which Subject Lines and Messages Improve Response to E-mail Invitations to Web Surveys

Bibliographic Data

ID7774122
AuthorsPhilip S Brenner (0000-0002-8848-1114, University of Massachusetts Boston, corresponding author), Carol Cosenza (0000-0003-2948-024X, University of Massachusetts Boston), Floyd Jackson Fowler (0000-0001-5889-6362, University of Massachusetts Boston)
Year2020
Volume32
Issue4
Pages365-382
Publication date2020-11-01
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueCAM (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1087-8513 • E-ISSN: 1552-3969
PublisherSAGE Publications (PUBLISHER • US)
DOI10.1177/1525822x20929647
OpenAlexW3036127193
LanguageEN
Citations received4
References cited16

What subject lines and messages in an e-mailed invitation maximize cooperation for a web survey? Answering this question is ever more important as survey researchers increasingly turn to web surveys to reduce costs. We test respondents’ preferences for subject lines and messages in an e-mailed invitation to participate in a Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems survey. Findings suggest that respondents prefer informative and straightforward subject lines that reference the purpose and the sponsor of the survey. Brief and uninformative subject lines should be avoided. In the body of the e-mail, respondents prefer messages that expand on the study’s purpose and usefulness and extend a guarantee of confidentiality. Messages that encourage participation for the sake of the study’s representativeness or accuracy are unpersuasive to potential respondents. Few differences emerged in preferences among demographic subgroups

Computer security · Confidentiality · Internet privacy · Representativeness heuristic · Subject (documents) · Test (biology) · World Wide Web · Computer Science · Focus Groups and Qualitative Methods · Health Literacy and Information Accessibility · Psychology · Social Psychology · Survey Methodology and Nonresponse

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