What is a survey? What are the features that make survey research attractive to researchers?

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

Survey research involves the collection of information from a sample of individuals through their responses to questions. Not only is survey research one of the most popular methods for science research, many newspaper editors, political pundits, and marketing gurus have turned to survey research because it is an efficient method for systematically collecting data from a broad spectrum of individuals and social settings. In fact, surveys have become such a vital part of our nation’s social fabric that we cannot assess much of what we read in the newspaper or see on TV without having some understanding of this method of data collection (Converse, 1984).
Regardless of its scope, survey research owes its continuing popularity to three features: versatility, efficiency, and generalizability.
Versatility The first and foremost reason for the popularity of survey methods is their versatility. Researchers can ask respondents questions about almost any topic you can imagine. Although a survey is not the ideal method for testing all hypotheses or learning about every social process, a well-designed survey can enhance our understanding of just about any social issue. In fact, there is hardly any topic of interest to social scientists that has not been studied at some time with survey methods.
Computer technology has made surveys even more versatile. Computers can be programmed so that different types of respondents are asked different questions. Short videos or pictures can be presented to respondents on a computer screen. An interviewer may give respondents a laptop on which to record their answers to sensitive personal questions, such as about illegal activities, so that not even the interviewer will know what they said (Tourangeau, 2004).
Efficiency Surveys also are popular because data can be collected from many people at relatively low cost and, depending on the survey design, relatively quickly. Surveys are efficient research methods because many variables can be measured without substantially increasing the time or cost of data collection. Mailed questionnaires can include up to 10 pages of questions before most respondents lose interest (and before more postage must be added). The maximum time limit for phone surveys seems to be about 45 minutes. In-person interviews can last much longer, more than an hour.
Generalizability Survey methods lend themselves to probability sampling from large populations. Thus, survey research is very appealing when sample generalizability is a central research goal. In fact, survey research is often the only means available for developing a representative picture of the attitudes and characteristics of a large population.
Surveys also are the research method of choice when cross-population generalizability is a primary concern. They allow a range of social contexts and subgroups to be sampled, and the consistency of relationships can be examined across the various subgroups.