Affiliations: [a] Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National
Center for Health Statistics, 6525 Belcrest Road, Room 915, Hyattsville, MD
20782, USA | [b] Abt Associates Inc., 55 Wheeler Street, Cambridge, MA
02138, USA | [c] Research Triangle Institute, 203 North Wabash, Suite
1220, Chicago, IL 60601, USA | [d] Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National
Immunization Program, Corporate Square Boulevard, Atlanta, GA 30329, USA
Abstract: The evaluation of the level of nonresponse in a survey and the impact of that
nonresponse on the survey estimates is an important issue in survey research. It
is important to apply the most accurate method of calculating response rates in
order to understand the components of nonresponse and to be in a better position
to incorporate modifications in the survey procedures as necessary and feasible.
Response rates have been defined in a number of ways for RDD surveys. The
standard/traditional method of calculating response rates involves the product
of three rates -- the resolution rate, the screening completion rate, and the
interview completion rate. The coverage rate (population coverage) has often
been reported separately from the response rate. The method presented in this
paper has the advantage of combining the coverage rate and the response rate in
the calculation of the overall response rate.
