ABSTRACT
This chapter reviews the recent work in survey research and cognitive psychology that helps documentation specialists understand what factors affect the quality and quantity of survey responses so that they can create effective and helpful surveys and to help them understand the cognitive processes involved in completing any difficult task or procedure. It focuses on understanding factors affecting survey participation, namely the cognitive decision-making processes respondents use to complete a survey, factors influencing the design of a survey, and theories for increasing participation and response. The chapter do not consider the processes for setting objectives, determining whether a survey is appropriate, or selecting a survey method, nor do it address aspects of data analysis or the reporting of survey statistics. Although the increases in response rates attributable to specific response inducement techniques are important, it is even more important to examine the total percentage of response achieved in any given survey research study.
