Social & Economic Sciences Research Center

Center Services

Mail Surveys

Mail Survey Design

The SESRC uses the Tailored Design Method (TDM) developed by Don A. Dillman to conduct surveys by postal mail. TDM is a method for collecting survey data that maximized survey response and is accepted worldwide as the premier method for conducting mail surveys.

The SESRC can work with existing paper surveys, or let us develop a lightweight and effective survey instrument for you. TDM encorporates a multi-stage contact strategy which gives the researcher the ability to reduce non-response error.

Mail Room Facilities

A complete mailroom facility including high-quality, high-speed color printers, postal metering machines, folding machines and automatic mail assembling machines are operated on-site by trained mail-room personnel.

Data Entry and Verification

Once mail surveys are completed and returned, the SESRC can conduct data entry in order to create a survey response database. SESRC typically follows a three step process: coding of questionnaires; initial data entry input, and re-entry verification with empahsis on controlling for entry error and data cleaning. In addition there is a final validation step that occurs after all questionnaires have been entered and verified.

The steps of the process include:

The SESRC performs verification on every questionnaire received, and on every question within the questionnaire (100% verification).

Standardized Survey Methodology

The SESRC utilizes the most recent standardized survey methods. Click here for a brief description of these methods.

 

The Social and Economic Sciences Research Center, PO Box 644014, Washington State University, Pullman WA 99164-4014, 509-335-1511, Contact Us