In My Opinion… Good Intentions Don't Count

While simple guest surveys can be poorly constructed with little negative consequences, often surveys are used in making important policy decisions. Researchers and policy makers must carefully construct their research instruments in order to avoid biases which may result in muddled or incorrect responses. The authors review the process of creating, administering, and analyzing surveys with an eye toward reducing survey bias to a minimum. Reliable results require a rigorous and careful approach when creating and using instruments.