Reporting Guidelines for Survey Research: An Analysis of Published Guidance and Reporting Practices
2011

Guidelines for Reporting Survey Research

Sample size: 117 publication Evidence: moderate

Author Information

Author(s): Carol Bennett, Sara Khangura, Jamie C. Brehaut, Ian D. Graham, David Moher, Beth K. Potter, Jeremy M. Grimshaw

Primary Institution: Ottawa Hospital Research Institute

Hypothesis

Is there a need to develop a reporting guideline for survey research?

Conclusion

There is limited guidance and no consensus regarding the optimal reporting of survey research.

Supporting Evidence

  • 93.3% of journals searched did not provide guidance on survey reporting.
  • Only 35% of studies provided the survey or core questions.
  • 19% reported the validity or reliability of the instrument.

Takeaway

This study looked at how surveys are reported in research papers and found that many important details are often missing, which makes it hard to trust the results.

Methodology

The study involved a systematic review of literature, analysis of journal guidelines, and a review of 117 published survey studies.

Potential Biases

Potential bias due to lack of standardized reporting guidelines.

Limitations

The study only included high-impact journals and may not represent all survey research.

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

10.1371/journal.pmed.1001069

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