Question

List some practical difficulties involved in getting accurate results from a mailed survey.

Short answer

The following are some of the practical problems in conducting a mailed survey:

1. It is impossible to determine who is responding to the mail.

2. It is not necessary for all emails to receive a response from respondents.

3. The interviewer may leave a few persons to send mail to.

Step-by-step solution

To determine

The challenges of collecting reliable results from a mailed survey in practise.

Explanation

The following are some of the challenges that can be encountered when conducting a mailed survey:

Coverage is insufficient: Not all members of the population have email addresses, or their addresses have changed and have not been updated, therefore they are unable to participate in the poll.

Non-response: Not everyone who receives the mail responds; in a face-to-face interview, individuals respond promptly and virtually always, but in the mail, people often disregard it.

Issues with interpretation: In some cases, survey questions contain various interpretations, and each responder may understand them differently, resulting in inaccurate replies.

Lack of alternatives: In some cases, multiple choice questions may not supply the option that the respondent seeks, forcing him to select only from the possibilities provided, resulting in an inaccurate picture of the survey.