Survey Research An Overview

Surveys require asking people, who are called respondents, for information, using either verbal or written questions. Questionnaires or interviews are utilized to collect data on the telephone, face- face, and through other communication media. The more formal term sample survey emphasizes that the purpose of contacting respondents is to obtain a representative sample of the target population. Thus, a survey is defined as a method of gathering primary data based on communication with a representative sample of individuals.

Steps in Conducting a Survey

The survey researcher follows a deductive approach. He or she begins with a theoretical or applied research problem and ends with empirical measurement and data analysis. Once a researcher decides that survey is an appropriate method, basic steps in a research project can broadly be divided into six sub-steps.