Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 10, 2026
10:42
Oral Biofilm Sampling for Microbiome Analysis in Healthy Children
Published on: December 31, 2017
Survey practices in dental education research
Journal of Dental Education
|October 1, 1983
Summary
Dental education research frequently uses surveys. This study analyzes mailed questionnaire methods in dental education research, offering guidance for researchers reporting their findings to journals.
Area of Science:
- Dental Education Research
- Survey Methodology
Background:
- Survey research constitutes approximately 40% of data-based articles in the Journal of Dental Education over the past five years.
- Mailed questionnaires represent a significant survey procedure within dental education research.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine the application of mailed questionnaire survey procedures in dental education research.
- To identify key factors for researchers to consider when reporting mailed questionnaire studies to journal editors.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of method sections in dental education studies published in the Journal of Dental Education within the last five years.
- Identification and discussion of factors relevant to reporting mailed questionnaire research.
Main Results:
- The study highlights specific factors crucial for effective reporting of mailed questionnaire research in dental education.
- Examples of both adequate and inadequate methodological reporting practices are presented.
Conclusions:
- Researchers in dental education should carefully consider specific methodological factors when reporting mailed questionnaire studies.
- Adherence to best practices in reporting survey research enhances the credibility and clarity of findings for journal editors and readers.
Related Concept Videos
02:16Surveys
Often, psychologists develop surveys as a means of gathering data. Surveys are lists of questions to be answered by research participants, and can be delivered as paper-and-pencil questionnaires, administered electronically, or conducted verbally. Generally, the survey itself can be completed in a short time, and the ease of administering a survey makes it easy to collect data from a large number of people.
01:50Cross-Sectional Research
In cross-sectional research, a researcher compares multiple segments of the population at the same time. If they were interested in people's dietary habits, the researcher might directly compare different groups of people by age. Instead of following a group of people for 20 years to see how their dietary habits changed from decade to decade, the researcher would study a group of 20-year-old individuals and compare them to a group of 30-year-old individuals and a group of 40-year-old...
02:01Group Design
The most basic experimental design involves two groups: the experimental group and the control group. The two groups are designed to be the same except for one difference— experimental manipulation. The experimental group gets the experimental manipulation—that is, the treatment or variable being tested—and the control group does not. Since experimental manipulation is the only difference between the experimental and control groups, we can be sure that any differences between the two are due to...
01:07Data Collection by Survey
The systematic method of obtaining and analyzing accurate information of a population is called data collection. A survey is a standard method of data collection that involves collecting information from a target human population about their experience, opinion, or knowledge of a product, service, or process. The responses are recorded and interpreted. The most common survey examples are written questionnaires, face-to-face or telephonic conversations, focus groups, and electronic (e-mail or...