Online Program

Modal Unit-Response Rates and Strategy
*Michael Thomas Zabelsky, U.S. Census Bureau 


Keywords: Statistical data analysis, data visualization, operations decisions

In survey processing, often times research and operations are viewed as two completely separate disciplines. This study intends to bridge one aspect of the research and operations gap, using historical, modal, statistical data analysis and response rate data visualization to make recommendations that impact future operations decisions and objectives.

This report suggests that, for surveys that experience structured sample reselections, synchronizing and marketing the rollout of web-collection instrument enhancements, online data resources, or online data visualization tools to coincide with reselection cycles will maximize electronic response rates within a sample from its origin to maturity. Increases in electronic response are highly correlated with increases in overall response for this study’s featured survey.

Historical, modal, operations statistics can be used to determine future direct-mail package contents and establish multi-mode, first-contact operations based on the evolving reporting preferences of a sample’s respondents.