Social and Behavioral Sciences Institutional Review Board

Mailed Surveys: Sample Cover Letter when Signature of Subject is not Required

Recently the Social and Behavioral Scienes IRB has reviewed more protocols involving surveys that are mailed to prospective subjects. A problem shared by some of these protocols is the lack of required elements on the informed consent form. To address this problem, the letter below is provided as a model. Note that it could be used when the questionnaire asks for the subjects' names.

Keeping in mind that anonymous surveys are not exempt for obtaining informed consent, here is a useful procedure for doing surveys anonymously that is not widely known. There are often many reasons to grant subjects anonymity, especially when asking them about illegal or sensitive issues. Here's how to do it.

With each survey mailed, enclose a self-addressed stamped postcard with their name back to the PI as well as a self-addressed stamped envelope addressed back to the PI. Instruct subjects that the researcher needs to know who responded and who didn't so the PI can follow up. Ask them to drop the postcard in the mail when they mail back the survey. Anyone who doesn't return a postcard within, for example, three weeks receives a second survey (with postcard) and a reminder, or plea, to respond. The researcher can also use the postcard to find out what item(s) the respondent might want in return, e.g., a summary of the results, or some related literature.

Many point out that respondents might mail back the postcard but not the survey (a sly trick). One PI says she knows of only one instance out of about 800 of anyone who did that.

(The idea about the anonymous survey is from a post to the IRB Listserv, January, 2001.)

Below is a model letter created by the Social and Behavioral Sciences Institutional Review Board at the University at Buffalo, the State University of New York.

Departmental / Unit Letterhead

January 5, 2001

Dear Business Professional:

Purpose 

Benefits 

Voluntary 

Nature 

Risks 

Confidentiality 

Duration 

Questions 

Investigator & IRB Contact

I am writing to ask your assistance in finding out about the professional concerns of Singaporean business managers who are assigned to their company's branches in the US. Your response to the enclosed questionnaire will help to identify the concerns of expatriate business professionals and create a valuable resource in developing orientation sessions for executives who are bound for overseas assignments. This survey is a part of a research project that is being conducted by a faculty member in the Department of Sociology, University at Buffalo, State University of New York. Your participation in the research is of course completely voluntary and if you participate, you need not respond to all the questions unless you wish to do so. If decline to participate, it will not effect your relationship with your employers or government authorities. 

The last section of the questionnaire asks for your name and the name of your company. Both pieces of information are completely optional and will not, if given, be associated with each other or with your other responses. Your name will be used to remove you from our rosters so you will not receive a second survey. All other information will be coded into a database and the original information destroyed so that your responses will be anonymous (i.e., not associated with your name or company). 

Would you please complete the survey (it will take about ten minutes), and mail it back in the enclosed postage-paid envelope as soon as possible? A summary of the results should be published within the next two years. Should you want a copy of the summary or have any questions or concerns about this survey, please contact Dr. Fiona Ng at the address above or fng@buffalo.edu. For questions regarding the rights of participants in research, contact the Social and Behavioral Sciences Institutional Review Board at 716/645-3321 or 515 Capen, Buffalo, NY 14260.

Thank you for your help in this important project.

Sincerely,