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Measurement errors due to failure to obtain the required data from the selected sample (non-response errors) are a matter of great methodological concern to current survey researchers. The author assumes that respondents' attitude to the questionnaire is largely determined by social conditions and maintains that in order to minimise this error (and achieve a satisfactory response rate) these conditions should be taken into account in the course of survey design, during the preparatory stage (interviewer selection and training: when specifying the timeline and number of contacts with individual respondents). implementation stage (interviewer monitoring) and control stage (back-checks). Although there are many ways to enhance response rates, the paper focuses on response-maximisation techniques applied in the European Social Survey that achieved a response rate of more than 70%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]