Objectives: Sample surveys have been increasingly used by Korean medical doctors for many studies. We present how to conduct higher quality sample surveys in Korea. Methods: According to the 11 principal steps for sample surveys, the concrete issues that academic researchers tend to overlook are illustrated and a variety of methods for improving survey quality are discussed. Results: The survey statistics produced by some researchers could be subject to large errors. This would be mainly due to misunderstandings about the system of principles called survey methodology. The best strategy for avoiding these errors will be to follow the suggested guidelines. Conclusions: For the development of traditional Korean medicine, the role of survey studies is important. Conducting surveys of a better quality based on survey methodology will be beneficial to researchers.