Final answer:
Mail surveys have the advantage of reaching a diverse population and eliminating interviewer bias, but are often faced with low response rates, potential respondent identity confirmation issues, and the possibility of being unrepresentative.
Step-by-step explanation:
Pros and Cons of Conducting Mail Surveys
Conducting mail surveys can have a number of advantages and disadvantages, which need careful consideration when designing a research methodology. Despite the shifting trend towards digital communication, mail surveys continue to be used for a variety of reasons.
Pros of Mail Surveys
- They allow respondents to take time to think about their answers, potentially resulting in more thoughtful and accurate responses.
- Mail surveys can reach a geographically diverse population and those without internet access.
- They eliminate interviewer bias that can occur with telephone or face-to-face surveys.
Cons of Mail Surveys
- There is often a low response rate, as many people may discard the survey without completing it.
- Confirmation of who actually responded to the survey is not guaranteed.
- Mailing lists may be out-of-date or incomplete, leading to an unrepresentative sample.
- Returned surveys may be biased, favoring responses from certain demographic groups over others.
for those conducting surveys, these factors must be weighed carefully to ensure the data collected are as accurate and unbiased as possible. Using a strategic approach, such as carefully selecting sample respondents and considering compensation, could improve response rates and mitigate some of the inherent cons of mail surveys.