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survey (social survey)

Definition of Survey

(noun) A research method that collects data from respondents through a series of questions by interview or questionnaire.

Survey Pronunciation

Pronunciation Usage Guide

Syllabification: sur·vey

Audio Pronunciation

– American English
– British English

Phonetic Spelling

  • American English – /sUHR-vay/
  • British English – /sUHR-vay/

International Phonetic Alphabet

  • American English – /ˈsərˌveɪ/
  • British English – /ˈsəːveɪ/

Usage Notes

  • Plural: surveys
  • The terms “survey” and “social survey” are used interchangeably in a sociological context.
  • Using surveys as a research method is called survey research.
  • Also called:
    • social survey
    • survey method

Related Quotation

  • “[R]esearchers frequently select a representative sample (a small group of respondents) from a larger population (the total group of people) to answer questions about their attitudes, opinions, or behavior” (Kendall 2006:31).

Related Video

Additional Information

Related Terms

Reference

Kendall, Diana. 2006. Sociology in Our Times: The Essentials. 5th ed. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth.

Works Consulted

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Cite the Definition of Survey

ASA – American Sociological Association (5th edition)

Bell, Kenton, ed. 2013. “survey.” In Open Education Sociology Dictionary. Retrieved October 2, 2023 (https://sociologydictionary.org/survey/).

APA – American Psychological Association (6th edition)

survey. (2013). In K. Bell (Ed.), Open education sociology dictionary. Retrieved from https://sociologydictionary.org/survey/

Chicago/Turabian: Author-Date – Chicago Manual of Style (16th edition)

Bell, Kenton, ed. 2013. “survey.” In Open Education Sociology Dictionary. Accessed October 2, 2023. https://sociologydictionary.org/survey/.

MLA – Modern Language Association (7th edition)

“survey.” Open Education Sociology Dictionary. Ed. Kenton Bell. 2013. Web. 2 Oct. 2023. <https://sociologydictionary.org/survey/>.