ABSTRACT
The covering letter is the place to explain what provision one have made for protecting the privacy of the respondent through confidentiality or anonymity. Respondents to a questionnaire need an explanation of why they should cooperate by completing it. This usually calls for a covering letter, though sometimes a questionnaire circulating within an organisation is sufficiently self-explanatory to require only a few introductory lines at the beginning of the questionnaire itself. Although surveys by students are normally done as part of a coursework requirement, it is usually preferable to justify the questionnaire in its own right, as a matter of interest or general concern, rather than merely as a means of obtaining an academic qualification. The potential respondent should be given reasons why he or she should complete the questionnaire, either for personal benefit or because it will bring benefits to others. It is better to focus on their needs rather than one's own.
