Strategy to increase completion rate of an online HIV survey – Does adding motivational messages help?

Background: Obtaining completed responses for online survey research is particular a challenge when participants can drop out more easily than other types of survey. Objectives: This paper examines the completion patterns of an online survey among students attending Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). Furthermore, the effectiveness of using motivational messages as a strategy to encourage survey completion was explored. Methods: An online HIV survey was developed via a rigorous item development and review process. The format and design was followed by standard online survey guidelines and managed by a professional survey research center. Survey completion patterns were examined using the data from the first campaign. Motivational messages were added at critical dropping out points. Data from the second campaign were used to assess the effect of the added motivational messages. Results: A total of 312 HBCU students responded to the HIV online survey during the first campaign. Analyses showed 3 critical drop-out points, with the completion rate dropping to 83.3%, 71.5%, 64.1%, correspondently. Three motivational messages were therefore added at these 3 places. Although data from the second campaign showed similar completion patterns from the beginning of the survey to the second dropping point, no further drop out were observed afterwards (i.e. 70% completion). Conclusions: Pilot test results showed that the third motivation message was successful to encourage survey completion. Data suggest that future studies pay attention to potential critical dropping out points when designing survey, and further test the effectiveness of adding motivational messages to encouraging survey completion.