Survey and other textual data

Surveys are commonly used in healthcare simulation research and evaluation. Many surveys have been created to fit specific simulation requirements or areas of interest. However, it is important to ensure that surveys have appropriate rigour for reliable representation and meaningful interpretation of data. This chapter covers concepts important to basic survey design for qualitative research in healthcare simulation education. However, surveys can be used simultaneously to also source quantitative data. The benefits and limitations of using surveys, as well as practical and ethical considerations in the collection and use of textual data are discussed. This chapter also presents the options of exploring alternate textual data sources, such as educational materials, course guides, reflective assessments, as well as data from online/social media platforms. More comprehensive guides on how to develop, administer and analyse survey and other textual data can be sourced from the resources and references included in this and other related chapters of the text.