Of course, if you use this technique for a piece of research where you are seeking respondents with particular characteristics, you need to be clear in your communications as to the kind of respondents that you are looking for.
Response rates to e-mail surveys have declined over the past fifteen years. This trend may be due, ironically, to the very prevalence of Internet use today. Fifteen years ago the majority of people online were technology enthusiasts who were keen to respond to things like online questionnaires.
Today, the Internet is more widely used and the people who use it are more discriminating about how they use it. Further, the increasing amounts of junk mail individuals receive and the threat of viruses combine to make response to questionnaires less frequent (Sheehan 2001). In view of this, you may need to be more proactive in encouraging participation.
You might, in your posting, stress the importance and relevance of your research, or alternatively provide incentives such as money or prizes to take part (Mann and Stewart 2000).
Another way of increasing the likelihood of participation is to contact potential respondents in advance, in writing or by telephone, so they do not simply delete your questionnaire when it comes.
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