A comparison of survey methods in studies of the nurse workforce

To compare and contrast postal and internet surveys in studies of nurse workforces.

There is little research that examines the advantages and disadvantages of different surveys in studies of nurse workforces.

Previous studies that used different approaches to disseminate surveys.

There are advantages and disadvantages to using postal or internet surveys for nurse workforce studies.

Factors researchers may wish to consider in selecting survey methods include research topic, costs, coverage, timing and the characteristics of potential respondents.

Response rate, data quality and adequate coverage of the population being studied can be optimised if the researcher selects an appropriate survey method.