Educator's blueprint: A how-to guide on survey administration

Area of Science:

• Health Professions Education
• Research Methodology

Background:

• Surveys are crucial for evaluating educational initiatives and collecting research data.
• Clinician educators often face challenges in efficient survey administration and achieving adequate response rates.
• Previous work covered survey design and validation; this paper addresses administration.

Purpose of the Study:

• To provide evidence-informed guidance on survey administration for researchers.
• To enhance strategies for reaching target populations and increasing participant engagement.
• To offer recommendations for managing nonrespondents and overcoming low response rates.

Main Methods:

• Focuses on practical aspects of survey administration, including contact and engagement methods.
• Discusses factors that enhance participation based on existing evidence.
• Provides recommendations for follow-up procedures with individuals who did not respond.

Main Results:

• Highlights challenges commonly encountered during survey administration.
• Offers strategies to improve response rates and obtain meaningful data.
• Addresses the importance of representative samples for survey research validity.

Conclusions:

• Effective survey administration is critical for the success of research and evaluation studies.
• Implementing evidence-based strategies can improve participation and data quality.
• Guidance is provided to help researchers navigate the complexities of survey deployment and achieve publishable results.