Response rate refers to the percentage of people who complete a survey or participate in a study out of all those who were invited or contacted.
What Is Response Rate?
Response rate is a basic yet critical concept in social science research. It tells you how many people actually took part in your study compared to how many you asked. Researchers calculate it by dividing the number of completed responses by the number of people contacted, then multiplying by 100 to get a percentage.
For example, if you emailed a survey to 1,000 teachers and 400 completed it, your response rate is 40 percent. This simple number gives important information about the reach, reliability, and potential limitations of your data.
Why Response Rate Matters
A study’s response rate can influence how trustworthy the results are. If only a small percentage of people respond, there’s a risk that the findings don’t represent the larger group. This is especially important in survey-based research, which is common in sociology, psychology, political science, and many other social science fields.
High response rates:
- Suggest better data quality
- Reduce the risk of nonresponse bias
- Improve confidence in generalizing findings to the larger population
Low response rates:
- Raise questions about who didn’t respond and why
- May limit the usefulness of the results
- Can create bias if non-respondents differ from respondents in meaningful ways
How to Calculate Response Rate
The response rate is calculated with a simple formula:
Response Rate = (Number of Responses / Number of People Contacted) × 100
Example:
If 500 surveys were sent and 250 were returned completed:
Response Rate = (250 / 500) × 100 = 50%
It’s important to define who counts as “contacted.” In some studies, this includes all people who were sent a survey, while in others, it might only include those who received it and were eligible to respond.
Response Rate in Different Research Contexts
Response rates are important across many types of social science research, but they may look different depending on the method used.
In Mail and Online Surveys
Mail and online surveys often face low response rates, especially when there is no incentive or follow-up. Researchers try to improve these rates by:
- Sending reminders
- Offering small rewards
- Keeping surveys short and engaging
- Personalizing invitations
For example, a political science researcher surveying voters by email may only get a 20% response rate without follow-ups, but that number could rise to 40% with reminders.
In Telephone Surveys
Telephone surveys used to have high response rates, but they have declined over the years. Caller ID, robocalls, and people’s busy schedules make it harder to reach respondents. Still, phone interviews may achieve higher engagement if the topic is important to the respondent.
In Face-to-Face Interviews
Studies using in-person interviews, such as those in anthropology or community-based sociology, often get higher response rates because of the personal connection and ability to build trust.
For example, a criminologist conducting interviews at a community center might get a 70% response rate, especially if participants are familiar with the researcher or topic.
Acceptable Response Rates
There is no strict rule for what counts as a “good” response rate, but here are some general benchmarks in survey research:
- 70% or higher: Excellent
- 60%–69%: Very good
- 50%–59%: Acceptable
- Below 50%: Caution needed; results may be biased
That said, a lower response rate doesn’t always mean poor quality—if the sample is large and representative, and if the study includes methods to check for bias, the findings can still be valid.
Factors That Affect Response Rate
Many things can influence whether people choose to respond to a survey or study. These include:
1. Length of the Survey
Long surveys can feel overwhelming and lead to dropouts. Short, focused surveys are more likely to be completed.
2. Survey Design and Clarity
Confusing questions or poor layout can turn people away. Clear, well-organized surveys help maintain attention.
3. Method of Contact
People may ignore emails or phone calls but respond to a mailed survey or an in-person request.
4. Personalization
Surveys that use the person’s name and are written in a friendly, respectful tone tend to do better than generic or impersonal ones.
5. Timing
Sending surveys at the wrong time—like during holidays or busy seasons—can lower response rates. Timing matters more than many researchers realize.
6. Incentives
Offering even small rewards, like a gift card or entry in a raffle, can boost participation.
7. Trust and Privacy
If people don’t trust the source of the survey or worry about their data being misused, they are less likely to respond. Clear information about confidentiality helps improve trust.
Improving Response Rate
Researchers often take specific steps to boost participation:
- Send reminders or follow-up emails
- Keep surveys short and clear
- Offer incentives
- Make participation easy (like mobile-friendly formats)
- Use trusted organizations or people to deliver the survey
- Assure confidentiality and explain how the data will be used
Example:
In a study about school satisfaction, an education researcher might:
- Send a personalized email to teachers
- Offer a $10 gift card
- Keep the survey under 10 minutes
- Follow up twice with reminders
These strategies might increase the response rate from 35% to over 60%.
Response Rate vs. Completion Rate
It’s easy to confuse response rate with completion rate, but they are different:
- Response rate measures how many people responded out of everyone contacted.
- Completion rate looks at how many people finished the entire survey out of those who started it.
For example, if 1,000 people were contacted, 400 started the survey, and 300 completed it:
- Response rate = (400 / 1,000) × 100 = 40%
- Completion rate = (300 / 400) × 100 = 75%
Both rates offer useful insights into the success of a study.
Response Rate and Nonresponse Bias
Low response rates can lead to nonresponse bias, which happens when the people who didn’t respond are different in important ways from those who did. This bias can distort findings and lead to inaccurate conclusions.
Example:
If a survey about health only gets responses from people already interested in fitness, the results might overestimate how active the general population is.
To reduce this risk, researchers sometimes:
- Compare respondents to nonrespondents using known data
- Weight the data to adjust for differences
- Report limitations clearly
Response Rate in Different Social Science Fields
In Sociology
A sociologist surveying public opinions on climate change might face low online response rates. They could improve participation by partnering with local community groups and sending printed surveys.
In Political Science
Researchers studying voter attitudes may struggle with low response rates during election season. Offering anonymity and making surveys mobile-friendly can help.
In Education
School-based surveys often benefit from trusted delivery (like a teacher or principal), leading to higher response rates from students and parents.
In Psychology
Experiments or questionnaires conducted in lab settings usually have high response rates because participants are already engaged. Online studies may need reminders to keep numbers high.
In Criminology
Community safety surveys often have low initial response rates, especially in areas with low trust in institutions. Using community leaders to distribute surveys can improve participation.
Reporting Response Rate in Research
Researchers should always report response rates when publishing or presenting findings. This helps others evaluate the strength and limitations of the study.
“Of the 800 surveys distributed, 520 were returned completed, yielding a response rate of 65%.”
Researchers should also explain what steps were taken to improve or assess the response rate.
Final Thoughts
Response rate is more than just a number—it reflects how well a study engaged its target group and how trustworthy the results might be. In social science research, where the goal is often to understand complex human behaviors, getting people to respond is a key part of producing accurate, useful findings.
While low response rates can pose challenges, researchers have many tools and strategies to improve participation and reduce bias. By understanding and managing response rate, social scientists can ensure their work better represents the people and issues they study.
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Last Modified: 03/25/2025