SelfReport

Self-report is a data collection method in which individuals provide information about their own thoughts, feelings, behaviors, or characteristics without external verification. It includes instruments and approaches where respondents report on themselves, such as standardized questionnaires with fixed-response items, structured or semi-structured interviews, diaries or journals, and experience sampling methods (also called ecological momentary assessment).

Self-report offers several advantages. It directly accesses subjective states, perceptions, and inner experiences that are not observable to outsiders. It is often cost-efficient, scalable to large samples, and adaptable to diverse topics, including attitudes, symptoms, and daily experiences. It can capture complex or private constructs that are difficult to measure with objective indicators.

However, self-report also has limitations. Responses can be influenced by biases such as social desirability, recall errors, memory decay, and mood at the time of reporting. Misinterpretation of questions, literacy or language barriers, and cultural differences can affect accuracy. Sensitive topics may lead to underreporting or overreporting. The reliability and validity of self-report depend on the quality of the instrument and the context, making triangulation with objective measures or collateral reports advisable.

Researchers mitigate these issues through methods such as using validated scales, ensuring anonymity or confidentiality, employing neutral and culturally appropriate wording, conducting cognitive interviews, specifying explicit time frames, and collecting data at multiple time points or from multiple sources. Self-report remains a core tool across psychology, public health, epidemiology, and market research, often complemented by objective data to provide a fuller picture.