Survey research obtains information about attitudes, beliefs, knowledge, opinions, perceptions, or reasoning.¹ Surveys are commonly used in many research settings, including surgical education research.² The general process of survey research involves questionnaire design, instrument administration, and data analysis.³ When properly designed, administered, and analyzed, surveys can answer diverse and vital questions in surgical education (Box).

A carefully designed survey can answer many research questions.¹ Surveys can illustrate a cross-sectional snapshot of what is being assessed (ie, the construct) or provide information about trends in the construct over time. Surveys may be used for descriptive studies of a sample of a single population, or they can be used to compare groups in experimentally designed studies.¹