When to Text? How the Timing of Text Message Contacts in Mixed-Mode Surveys Impacts Response

Using multiple modes of contact has been found to increase survey participation over a single contact mode. Text messaging has emerged as a new mode to contact survey participants in mixed-mode survey designs, especially for surveys that include web and/or phone data collection. However, it is unclear how to best combine text messages with mailings and other outreach contacts to improve response rates and data quality. To explore the effectiveness of using text messaging as a contact mode, we conducted a full factorial experiment that varies the sequencing of text messages with mailing contacts (early versus late reminder) and the time text messages were sent (morning versus afternoon). The experiment was implemented in a follow-up wave of a mixed-mode nationally representative longitudinal survey with two sample groups (Cooperative versus Other Respondents). For Cooperative Respondents, text reminders seemed to be effective at increasing completion rates, with the early text reminder being somewhat more effective than the late text reminder, at least early in the field period. For Other Respondents, text invitations were effective at improving the completion rate, but effects diminished quickly once the invitation letter was sent. Additionally, the early text reminder appears to be more effective than the late text reminder at increasing completion rates for Other Respondents. The sequencing of text messages did not affect data quality across sample groups or substantially impact nonresponse. The time of day the text messages were sent did not affect any of the outcome measures examined.

研究发现，与单一联系方式相比，使用多种联系方式可提高调查参与度。在混合模式调查设计中，短信已成为联系调查参与者的一种新方式，特别是对于包含网络和/或电话数据收集的调查而言。然而，如何将短信与邮件及其他外联方式最佳结合以提高回复率和数据质量，尚不清楚。为探究将短信作为一种联系方式的有效性，我们进行了一项全因子实验，该实验改变了短信与邮件联系的顺序（早期提醒与晚期提醒）以及短信发送的时间（上午与下午）。该实验是在一项具有全国代表性的混合模式纵向调查的后续阶段进行的，涉及两个样本组（合作受访者与其他受访者）。对于合作受访者，短信提醒似乎能有效提高完成率，早期短信提醒比晚期短信提醒在一定程度上更有效，至少在调查初期是这样。对于其他受访者，短信邀请能有效提高完成率，但在邀请函发出后，效果迅速减弱。此外，早期短信提醒在提高其他受访者的完成率方面似乎比晚期短信提醒更有效。短信的顺序并未影响各样本组的数据质量，也未对无回应情况产生重大影响。短信发送的时间对所考察的任何结果指标均无影响。