What can cause assessment fatigue:
- Over-surveying a specific audience
- Requests for multiple surveys at the same time
- Having a high number of previously administered surveys
- Surveys administered back-to-back
How to increase response rates when Assessment Fatigue is an issue:
- Multiple Contacts – This involves reaching out to your target audience multiple times. This can include a pre-notification, the invitation with the survey information, and follow-up reminders.
- Length – The longer the survey, the higher the perceived cost. Keep the survey at a length that is ideal for your respondent. Studies have shown when asking students how many questions they would be willing to answer in a survey, the average response is 22 questions. When asking students how much time they are willing to spend on the survey, the average response is 13 minutes.
- Incentives – Providing an incentive may increase your response rates. This data about incentives is based on a national audience, not specifically targeted to college students.
- Prepaid incentives consistently raise levels of response
- Effect of postpaid incentives is minimal
- Payment contingent upon completion
- Salience – This refers to how relevant is the survey topic to the recipient.
- Statements of Confidentiality – Let your audience know that their data will be protected. Using “anonymous” or “confidential” defines the way you will handle your data and the perception of your recipient.
- Anonymous – responses are unidentifiable
- Confidential – can identify but will not share
- Sponsorship – Identify to the recipient who is coordinating the survey.
- Deadlines – May increase the urgency for completion from the recipient.
Source:
Porter, S. (date). New Directions for Institutional Research. In (editors)
Overcoming Survey Research Problems (no. 121) place and publisher