Combating Telephone Fatigue After Multiple Waves: Testing Prepaid Incentives and a Hard-Copy Questionnaire in a Telephone Survey of Youth With Disabilities and Their Parents

The National Longitudinal Transition Study 2 (NLTS2), funded by the U.S. Department of Education, is a nationwide longitudinal study that collects information on the education, activities, and development of youth with disabilities. NLTS2 follows approximately 11,000 youth and their parents over a 10-year period as the youth move from high school into their young adult lives; interviews are conducted by telephone every 2 years. The study has faced an increasing challenge to meet response rate goals as participation from parents has declined. In 2007, we conducted an experiment to test the effectiveness of a prepaid incentive and a hard-copy questionnaire. Parents who were provided the option of completing a mail survey were significantly more likely to respond than those who received only a letter reminding them of the telephone interview (with or without a prepaid incentive).