Final answer:
Distributing questionnaires via mail or e-mail allows for reaching a broad audience and is cost-effective. However, it poses the challenge of ensuring response authenticity and maintaining high response rates. Evolving technology and targeted sampling methods can enhance the effectiveness of these surveys.
Step-by-step explanation:
Benefits of Distributing Questionnaires via Mail or E-mail
Distributing questionnaires via mail or e-mail has several benefits for businesses, researchers, and other organizations. One key advantage is the ability to reach a wide audience, potentially including respondents from different geographical locations, backgrounds, and cultures. This method of distribution is also cost-effective, as it can significantly reduce the expenses related to printing and distributing physical questionnaires. Moreover, the convenience for both the sender and respondent is enhanced, as recipients can complete the questionnaire at their own pace and convenience.
However, this method does come with challenges, such as the risk of low response rates and difficulties in verifying the identity of respondents. Additionally, responses may be affected by incomplete mailing lists or the presence of multiple e-mail accounts. To mitigate some of these issues, organizations like Harris Interactive employ techniques to target specific groups or use random-digit-dialing to incorporate unlisted and cellular numbers. Furthermore, in today's digital age, adapting to various browsers and handheld devices is necessary to engage especially the younger demographics.
Overall, while mail and e-mail questionnaires allow for more complex questions and responses, researchers must carefully consider the design and distribution of their surveys to maximize effectiveness and accuracy.