Effects of Token Financial Incentives on Response Rates and Item Nonresponse for Mail Surveys

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Abstract
Self-administered mail questionnaire surveys are commonly used by human dimensions of wildlife researchers, but nonresponse error and item nonresponse can decrease questionnaire data quality. By using token financial incentives, researchers can increase response rates and reduce error. We surveyed two random samples of 500 Georgia cattle ranchers to conduct an incentive experiment by giving one group a $1 Jefferson coin and the other nothing. The financial incentive increased the response rate by nine percentage points. The incentive reduced nonresponse error for ethnicity but not other demographic or ranch characteristic variables. Item nonresponse for sensitive questions about income and threatened or endangered species and other more benign questions about demographics, crop damage, songbirds, deer, and turkey were also unaffected by the incentive. Token financial incentives can be a cost-effective way to increase wildlife survey response rates and increase data quantity and quality.