Survey research: a primer for hand surgery.

Survey research is an important and commonly used research tool. The findings of survey research help set national practice guidelines and guide health care policy decision making. The process of survey design and administration is rigorous, complex, and involved. The Journal of Hand Surgery contains on average 3 articles involving surveys per issue. This report serves as a reference for readers of the many survey articles published in this journal. It also provides a guide for hand surgeons or others interested in how to conduct survey research.