Question: Survey response rates. A market research firm conducted a survey of companies in its state. They mailed a questionnaire to 300 small companies, 300 medium-sized companies, and 300 large companies. The rate of nonresponse is important in deciding how reliable survey results are. Here are the data on response to this survey:

(a) What was the overall percent of nonresponse?

(b) Describe how nonresponse is related to the size of the business. (Use percents to make your statements precise.)

(c) Draw a bar graph to compare the nonresponse percents for the three size categories.

(d) Using the total number of responses as a base, compute the percent of responses that come from each of small, medium, and large businesses.

(e) The sampling plan was designed to obtain equal numbers of responses from small, medium, and large companies. In preparing an analysis of the survey results, do you think it would be reasonable to proceed as if the responses represented companies of each size equally?