Critical Appraisal of Electronic Surveys: An Integrated Literature Review

Background and Purpose: Electronic surveys are an essential data collection method in survey research but there are pros and cons. The purpose of this literature review was to understand the advantages and disadvantages of electronic surveys in research. Methods: An integrated literature review was performed. Results: Twenty publications met the criteria and were analyzed. The advantages of electronic surveys include speed, cost, convenience, flexibility, ease of analyses, global reach, reduced errors, and question diversity. The disadvantages of electronic surveys are response outcomes (nonresponse, item-nonresponse/poor completion rates, and careless responding errors) and digital literacy requirements. Conclusions: The advantages of electronic surveys outweigh their disadvantages, but researchers must understand the problems associated with electronic surveys and avoid them.