Field validation of mail surveys: A monograph from the advanced commercial survey methods (COMSURV) project: Final report

This report presents the results of a demonstration to field validate commercial sector mail survey responses. The study was performed utilizing Virginia Power's 1985 Commercial Customer Survey (general and tailored versions of the questionnaire). The survey was focused on offices and retail food stores. Responses to the mail survey were validated by field visits to a sample of sites responding to the mail survey. Discrepancies between the mail response and field observation for selected variables, and the reason for these discrepancies (to the extent available) were noted. The results were then analyzed to determine variables which are suitable or unsuitable for inclusion in mail surveys. The mail survey performed quite well in the majority of cases for the variables represented. Relative errors were usually small.