Conducting a client-focused survey using e-mail.

An e-mail listserv was used to recruit participants, administer a survey, send electronic gift certificates, and disseminate the findings of a study of psychological responses to being a carrier of the gene for phenylketonuria, a rare genetic disease. The majority of responses to the call for participants were received within the first 24 hours, and most surveys (n = 83) were returned via e-mail within 5 days. The use of e-mail allowed more opportunities for researcher-participant interaction than Web-based surveys, but the return rate of 51% may reflect concerns about privacy when e-mail addresses are required.