Can A deadline and compressed mailing schedule improve mail response in the decennial census

Abstract

This study reports results of a national mailout-mailback experiment that evaluated the effects of a deadline and compressed mailing schedule on response to census mail questionnaires. The experiment finds that providing a deadline and shorter interval (by one week) in which to complete the census form leads to a significantly higher rate of response (by 2.0 percentage points). Data quality was not impaired and in some cases showed significant improvements in the experimental panel (lower item nonresponse for one item and slight improvements in coverage). These results contrast with previous studies suggesting that a due date is not effective for improving response in mail surveys, and imply that a deadline would lead to significant cost savings in the decennial census.