In this Perspective, we present a survey checklist designed to serve the same core function as surgical checklists: to reduce error. Specifically, our hope is that this checklist helps medical education practitioners and researchers reduce measurement error in their survey instruments so that they can gather more accurate answers to their questions of interest. We designed the checklist (see Appendix 1) with an audience of experienced medical education researchers in mind (i.e., those with expertise and training in survey design); however, the checklist may also prove useful in guiding conversations between nonexpert researchers and consultants brought in to help develop survey instruments. Some survey experts may wish to keep the checklist on hand as they develop their own surveys. Others (e.g., those evaluating surveys for possible use) may use the checklist to compare the relative quality (or the relative number of strengths and problems) between two or more survey instruments—possibly even tallying the number of positive/negative responses to produce a heuristic score.
SACME – Terminology in Continuing Education: A Hybrid Methodology for Improving the Use and Reporting of Interventions in Continuing Education
This study was commissioned to use expert opinion to improve the consistency of important educational terminology by describing the essential components of a set of educational interventions.
