The utility of electronic mail follow-ups for library research

This article compares the use of electronic mail (e-mail) and postal mail in the follow-up stage of a library research project using a mailed questionnaire. Results from the Internet-Related Technologies: Occupational Impacts for Government Documents Librarians survey show that e-mail as a follow-up method is as effective as postal mail in terms of both the speed and size of the survey response. Additional benefits and drawbacks of using e-mail during the follow-up stage are then discussed to illuminate the contexts in which each method may be most appropriate.