SSRS Address-Based Sample

Cost-effective Sampling Frame that Covers the Vast Majority of the U.S. Population

It’s not a method…

Address-Based Sample (ABS) is a sampling frame that uses the residential addresses in the U.S. Postal Service Computerized Delivery Sequence File provided by approved third-party vendors. SSRS’s sister company, MSG, was one of the first approved vendors, and so SSRS has a long history with ABS starting with the 2008 Massachusetts Health Interview Survey.

ABS frames include practically all mailing addresses in the United States, therefore they support both mail and multi-mode designs, including telephone and online data collection.

Address-Based Sample Advantages

Full Coverage of U.S. Households

Single Sampling Frame

  • ABS provides more certainty and allows for straightforward weighting protocols

Geographical Precision

  • ABS addresses the issues of both under-coverage and over-coverage by targeting the household rather than a telephone exchange

Heightened Response Rates

  • ABS can attain significantly higher response rates than today’s telephone studies, particularly when administered in multiple modes

Customizable to Specific Research Objectives

SSRS Helps Navigate the Four Ms of Address-Based Sample:

SSRS Helps to Determine Mailing Protocol: Frequency and Kind

  • Single vs. multiple mailings
  • Letters and/or postcards
  • Pacing and volume

Mode of Interviewing: Offer One, Multiple, or Many

  • Paper survey
  • Web survey
  • Telephone:  Inbound calling vial 1-800 number and outbound calling from phone center

Identify the Most Effective Materials

  • Paper survey
  • Incentive
  • Cover letters or postcards
  • Multiple languages

Methodological Rigor: Design Options Customized to Meet your Needs

  • Options range from quick and easy to publishable in a peer-reviewed journal

SSRS has used ABS for:

  • Large statewide health interview surveys
  • Political polling in targeted geographic areas

How can we help you design and execute your research?