Research surveys and their evolution: Past, current and future uses in healthcare

Table 1 Advantages and disadvantages of research survey methodologies

Survey methodology	Advantages	Disadvantages
Mail	Low cost; Lack of interviewer means participants may be more likely to give honest, unbiased answers	Low response rates; Unable to probe answers because of lack of interviewer
Interview	Good response rates; Allows probing of answers; Allows observation of attitudes	Expensive; Time consuming; Requires interviewer training; Risk of interviewer introducing bias
Phone	Easy accessibility in most countries; Anonymity; Flexible for participants; Computer aided techniques allow for rapid data collection	Lack of visual materials; Limitations in nature of questions that can be asked and answered (non-open ended); Call screening can limit response rate