No silver bullet for online Survey Response Propensity: evidence from Saudi faculty and graduate students

Survey methodology in higher education represents a cornerstone of educational research, with survey participation metrics serving as a key indicator of methodological rigor and validity. This study investigated the factors influencing self-reported response propensity among faculty members and graduate students within a Saudi higher-education context. Using a cross-sectional design, data were collected through a web-based questionnaire from 112 participants, including 41 faculty members and 71 graduate students from the College of Education. Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) using SmartPLS 3.0 was employed to evaluate both measurement and structural models. The results indicated that all design-related factors significantly and positively influenced the likelihood of responding to online academic surveys. Among these factors, Authority/Belonging exerted the strongest effect on response propensity ( f 2 = 2.109), followed by Reminders/Advance Notice ( f 2 = 1.049), Ethical Issues ( f 2 = 0.934), Survey Structure ( f 2 = 0.815), and Motivation/Incentives ( f 2 = 0.735). These findings highlight the pivotal role of credibility cues, ethical transparency, and structured follow-up strategies in enhancing response propensity. The findings highlight the role of credibility cues, ethical transparency, and follow-up strategies in shaping response propensity within this institutional setting.