Using Semi-Structured Interviews to Better Understand Nonresponse to a Government-Sponsored, Mail-Based Survey of Households

Abstract Given the global nature of the survey nonresponse phenomenon, researchers have devoted considerable attention to understanding the factors that contribute to it. However, much remains unknown about sample members’ reasons for nonresponse and the best way to address those concerns. For self-administered surveys in particular, which often rely on sample members responding to the request without the encouragement of an interviewer or researcher, it is crucial to better understand the attitudinal and environmental barriers that stop sample members from responding. In addition, relatively little existing work involves speaking directly with nonrespondents to a particular survey to hear from them about how the survey request fits into the bigger picture of their life. Drawing on qualitative data collected from 70 semistructured interviews conducted with individuals living in households that did not respond to a large-scale federal government mail survey, we present findings related to three domains of nonresponse: time use, attitudes toward the government, and privacy concerns. We find that these domains remain as relevant today as they were in prior decades, though the ways people experience them may be different. While themes emerge from our study that are relevant to survey research in general, we also expect that the exact way these and other domains are experienced and interact with survey response decisions will differ by population and by survey. We encourage survey researchers to incorporate qualitative methods into their survey design process so that the resulting design and materials are more likely to reflect the needs and issues facing each survey's population.