Content Type:

Glossary

Share Print

Refusal rate Definition

The proportion of eligible respondents who refused to give an interview.

Refusal occurs when a potential respondent declines to participate in a research study after being contacted. This can happen during recruitment or at any point before completing the survey or interview.

Who relies on refusal rates in market research?

Fieldwork teams, survey methodologists, sampling managers, data quality specialists and project managers rely on refusal rate metrics to evaluate respondent cooperation and the effectiveness of recruitment strategies.

What are the key aspects of refusal rates in market research?

• Calculated as the percentage of contacted individuals who decline to participate.
• Affects overall response rate.
• Varies by mode (phone, online, in-person), topic and audience.
• May indicate issues with outreach approach or survey design.
• Typically monitored throughout data collection.

Why are refusal rates important in market research?

Refusal rate impacts the representativeness and reliability of the sample. High refusal rates can introduce nonresponse bias, limiting the ability to generalize findings to the broader population.

How do market researchers track refusal rates?

Researchers track refusal rates to identify barriers to participation, adjust recruitment messaging and determine whether additional sampling or weighting is needed. They also report refusal rates to ensure transparency and evaluate field performance.