Affiliations: [a] Social and Statistical Sciences, RTI International,
Research Triangle Park, NC, USA | [b] Survey Research Division, RTI International, Research
Triangle Park, NC, USA
Correspondence:
[*]
Corresponding author: Richard A. Kulka, RTI
International, 3040 Cornwallis Road, Research Triangle Park, NC 27709, USA.
Tel.: +1 919 541 7008; Fax: +1 919 316 3758; E-mail:
rak@rti.org
Abstract: Incentive payments to survey respondents have been used extensively for many
years to improve survey response rates. There is considerable research evidence
supporting the value of compensation for increasing cooperation and improving
the speed and quality of response in a broad range of data collection efforts.
This paper examines current issues in the use of monetary incentives in sample
surveys, including a review of the literature concerning the direct and indirect
impact of incentives on survey statistics, and the practical and operational
issues for their use. This paper also examines the two recent experiments
conducted to assess the effectiveness of incentives in studies of substance use
– the Alcohol and Drug Services Study and the National Household Survey on Drug
Abuse. These studies are reviewed in light of the current issues identified in
the literature. They are described in detail in the companion papers included in
this issue of the Journal of Social and Economic Measurement.
