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To the Editor: Dr Baker and colleagues¹ noted the lack of consistency in reporting of sample selection and survey nonresponse in other studies of Internet use. In contrast, they described their own sample as a "large, well-defined, representative sample of the US population." Nonetheless, their study raises important questions about how survey response rates should be reported.

The authors reported a response rate of 69.4%. To compare this rate with other surveys conducted in the general US population, one should consider nonresponse in several stages of panel recruitment and maintenance, including panel recruitment, WebTV installation, panel attrition, and response to a specific project. The authors, however, provided only the project-specific rate of response. Using the American Association of Public Opinion Research guidelines for the standard calculation of response rates² and additional data provided by the authors, one can calculate an effective response rate in the US population of approximately 10% . . . [Full Text of this Article]

Karen Donelan, ScD
Institute for Health Policy
Massachusetts General Hospital
Boston

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