DiscoverTotal Survey DesignNonresponse Error. Part 1 - Why Response Rate Does Not Necessarily Predict Nonresponse Error
Nonresponse Error. Part 1 - Why Response Rate Does Not Necessarily Predict Nonresponse Error

Nonresponse Error. Part 1 - Why Response Rate Does Not Necessarily Predict Nonresponse Error

Update: 2025-12-01
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This episode explains the important distinction between response rate and nonresponse error in survey research. Drawing on principles from Dillman et al.(2014), it clarifies that a high response rate does not necessarily mean low nonresponse error, and vice versa. Through two practical examples, the episode illustrates how systematic differences between respondents and nonrespondents -- not the number of responses -- determine the presence of nonresponse error. The episode emphasizes that evaluating survey quality requires more than just looking at response rates; it requires understanding potential bias in who does and does not respond.

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Nonresponse Error. Part 1 - Why Response Rate Does Not Necessarily Predict Nonresponse Error

Nonresponse Error. Part 1 - Why Response Rate Does Not Necessarily Predict Nonresponse Error

Dr. Azdren Coma and Dr. Seon Yup Lee