Abstract

Very little information is published on the relative efficacy of survey delivery approaches for veterinary epidemiological studies. We present here an assessment of the efficacy of a tailored mixed mode survey utilizing a web-based questionnaire to collect information indicative of capacity to respond to freshwater fish mortality events from appropriate state agencies. A questionnaire focused on wild carp mortality events was developed to survey individual state preparedness to respond to nongame freshwater fish mortality events. The objectives of this study were to 1) develop an approach that established a relationship with state agencies responsible for monitoring wild carp in United States in order to obtain information on past, present, and future wild carp mortality events, and 2) to use a tailored mixed mode design method involving both telephone and e-mail correspondence to achieve a response rate greater than 50%. The tailored design survey used in this study incorporates multiple motivational features to encourage high quantity and quality of response.¹ Respondents were contacted by telephone, initiating contact, and inviting the responder to the study. E-mail was used to supply the link to a web-based survey tool. Reminders were communicated by e-mail as needed for the second and fourth reminder. A telephone call served as the third reminder. The thank you response was sent by e-mail. Several components of the survey were designed to modify or adapt the potential respondent's perceptions to improve the survey response rate and the quality of the data returned. These included a pre-notification by telephone, a cover letter for the survey tool, the survey tool design itself, a series of post delivery reminders, a reward communication of thanks, and follow up communication tools for both respondents and non respondents. The overall return rate was 100% (50/50), and the completion proportion (questionnaire usable for analysis) was 100% (50/50). More than half of the population (27 states) responded within 24 hours of receiving the survey web address. Effort and response relationships and how those may be affected by the urgency of a real event rather than a simulation will be discussed.

References

1.  Dillman D, Smyth JD, Christian LM. Internet, Mail and Mixed-Mode Surveys, The Tailored Design Method. 3rd ed. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons; 2009.