Recall bias is a type of systematic error that occurs when participants in a study do not accurately remember past events or experiences.

It is especially common in:

• Self-report surveys
• Retrospective studies
• Cross-sectional designs

Recall bias can distort findings by:

• Overestimating or underestimating past exposures or outcomes
• Affecting comparisons between groups (e.g., cases vs. controls)
• Reducing the validity of associations or correlations

In an alumni career survey, participants may:

• Forget exact years of achievements
• Misremember the number of grants or publications
• Selectively recall certain experiences based on current satisfaction

Recall bias undermines the accuracy and reliability of self-reported data, and should be acknowledged as a limitation in study design.