Explain Survey Research: Definition, Example, Methods, Advantages, Disadvantages

survey research

If you’re a researcher or a business owner, it is your responsibility to keep up-to-date about survey research and its proper use to enhance your profitability and influence your target market.

In this article, we will discuss how survey research works, its definition, examples, and methods, as well as its advantages and disadvantages.

Hopefully, after reading this article you will gain a better understanding of survey research and be able to use it for your business and research needs

Additionally, if you have any difficulty you can also email us for any kind of assistance regarding research and the use of our website

In order to conduct research, survey research is a method of collecting data through questionnaires or interviews to complete the means of gathering information.

This type of research is designed to gather information from a representative sample of a population in order to gain a deeper understanding of their attitudes, opinions, behaviors, and other characteristics, which can then be applied to the development of future research projects.

What is survey research?

Survey research refers to the process of gathering information by sending surveys to survey respondents as part of the research process and involves the use of questionnaires or in-depth interviews to collect primary data from a sample of a population and analyzing it.

A suitable example of the type of data that could be collected would be information or choices pertaining to attitudes, opinions, behaviors, and demographics of a particular group of people, or a target group, etc.

Often times, this method is referred to as the first hand data collection method, which is used as the primary method of collecting data

Read: Primary Data Collection Method and Importance

Here are three best examples of survey research mentioned below

  • In order to gain a better understanding of how customers perceive a company’s products or services, the company might conduct a customer satisfaction survey.
  • In order to determine which candidate to elect, a political campaign might conduct a survey to understand the opinions of voters on different issues as well as to determine the candidate’s elevation motto.
  • As a health organization, you might conduct a survey to find out how prevalent a particular disease is in a particular population and how this can help you to control that disease and develop a treatment for it.

How to conduct a survey research

As the name indicate, the Survey research is carried out by surveying participants and using different methods to collect information.

Various factors need to be considered before conducting survey research, such as designing a questionnaire or interview guide that asks clear and concise questions, as well as ensuring that the sample size and the sample composition are both representative of the population being studied.

Various methods of conducting a survey can be used depending on the purpose and type of research that will be conducted, including the following methods, which can be utilized for conducting this type of research.

After the data has been collected, the data can be analyzed using data analysis techniques such as descriptive statistics and regression analysis.

Read: Data Analysis in Research and its Importance

How to design your survey research

When it comes to designing a survey research project as well as a before survey, you should consider the following tips and tricks in order to have a successful response and proposal for the actions taken following the survey

  • Make sure your questions are clear, concise, and specific.
  • In order to reach the target audience, you should use simple, understandable language.
  • Be careful not to ask questions that are biased or leading.
  • It is important to use a mix of closed-ended (e.g. multiple choice) questions as well as open-ended (e.g. essay) questions in order to get both quantitative as well as qualitative information.
  • We recommend that you test the survey with a small sample to determine if there are any issues with the design of the survey.

Methods used for survey research

Although there are numerous methods available, we have tried to highlight a few of them below by presenting suitable examples of how they can be applied.

In general, survey research can be a valuable instrument for gathering data on a wide range of topics and to minimize the possibility of bias and maximize the usefulness of the data collected, it is essential to use appropriate methods and to carefully design the survey to minimizing biases and maximize the usefulness of the data collected.

Based on the medium used to gather information and conduct survey research, there are four main survey research methods that can be distinguished:

#1. Surveys conducted online

In most cases, these surveys are conducted via web-based survey software or via the Internet, and can be distributed easily and quickly to a large number of people. You may use Google forms as an example to get information by asking multiple choice questions.

#2. Surveys conducted by phone

There are also telephone surveys, which can be useful for reaching a wider range of people than online surveys since they are conducted over the phone.

Using the phone chat method as an example to get an answer to a question or using phone calls to contact the target population is one type of tracking method that is done through different services provided to collect feedback, such as the quality of food from a restaurant or pizza hut.

#3. Surveys by mail

In this study, the survey will be used and sent via mail, and it can be useful if you want to reach people without access to the internet or phone.

This type of research is used primarily for the purpose of advertising and marketing a product and also for the promotion of the product. Example of marketing of the use of a service by a car insurance provider

#4. Surveys conducted in person

This method usually consists of conducting one-to-one meetings in person and collecting more detailed information. This is especially useful in cases where the target group has a low level of literacy as they tend to be more likely to be involved in face-to-face meetings.

It is important to note that in order to ensure that the data collected as part of in person type is accurate and valuable, both factual and physical verifed. For example, checking the nutritional level of an entire family

Advantages and disadvantages of survey research

It is important to keep in mind that survey research has some advantages and some disadvantages, and a few of them are mentioned below in the appropriate order

#Advantages of survey research

  • It is a very efficient and quick way to gather data from a large number of people in a short period of time.
  • It is capable of providing quantitative data, which may be analyzed by using statistical techniques in order to draw conclusions.
  • The method can be used for the study of attitudes, opinions, behaviors, and demographics.

#Disadvantages of survey research

  • A survey can have a low response rate, especially if it is conducted in an online environment, i.e., if the survey is conducted via email, software, Google Form, or a telephone conversation
  • Response bias can occur if participants do not answer questions honestly or if their responses are influenced by the wording of the questions that they are asked.
  • Creating a representative sample of the population that is being studied may prove to be a difficult task.

Wrapping Up

In this article, we discuss it in greater detail how survey research is conducted, which methods are used and how they are applied in research, so that information can be collected and after the data has been collected, the data can be analysed using data analysis techniques such as descriptive statistics and regression analysis.

I hope that you will be able to use this method for your research and surevy in your study for a successful outcome.

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General FAQ related to survey research

Q 1. How is survey research used?

In order to gather information from a large group of people, survey research is a unique method.

Q 2. Can we use survey research in our PhD thesis

Yes, Surveys can be an incredibly effective method of collecting data for your dissertation, thesis, or research

Q. 3 A survey can be qualitative or quantitative

According to the type of research strategies used in the survey, there can often be a combination of questions that are quantitative and qualitative in a survey

Q. 4 Can survey research be qualitative

No, A survey research is a quantitative method that involves collecting data from a group of respondents.