Reviews of 227 comparative studies and 50 descriptive studies covering the time periods 1931-1999 and 1975-1999 respectively, revealed little change in response rates over time for postal mail surveys. Significant differences were found in comparative studies' response rates based on the academic area represented by the journal in which studies were published, with response rates higher for education and psychology journals than for business journals. Based on results of these reviews, as well as a review of textbook advice to researchers, it is recommended that the minimum standard for response rate vary by population accessed but be set at 50% for business surveys and 70% for surveys in education or psychology. (Contains 4 tables and 88 references.) (Author/SLD)