Popular and Highly Common Method of Data

¶ … popular and highly common method of data collection used in all manner of research. The survey can take a wide array of forms and typically requires the respondent to answer a series of questions or items. The effective survey instrument will be one that is objective and which offers questions that are presented in an unbiased manner.

Practical Application

The practical applications of the survey are manifold. One practical application of the survey is in ts capacity to yield first-hand accounts which may be protected by anonymity and which enable researchers to formulate data analyses that are not influenced by personal perceptions of subjects. This benefit is supplemented by the ability which the survey offers researchers to craft data-gathering questions according to the needs of the study. With this method of qualitative data accumulation, questions can be shaped to cast a broad reach in terms of that which can be utilized to formulate conclusions. This means that the survey can not only help to acquire data but can be instrumental in determining that data which is most useful or applicable.

The questionnaire mode of survey research is perhaps most common. With possible respondents presented printed surveys and asked to fill out/return said surveys, the questionnaire bears the notable drawback of a relatively low return rate. As opposed to an interview, for example, the questionnaire presents courted respondents the easy opportunity to ignore, overlook or disregard the survey. An advantage of the questionnaire, though, is its ergonomic structure, with all individuals presented the same questions. This serves as a method of internal control over experimental variables.

This will also be true of the structured interview, where, essentially, a set line of questioning is personally administered to a respondent. This bears the advantage of a captive sample set, where a complete data set is assured with each respondent that can be reached. As Trochim & Donnelly (2008) note, "interviews (McCracken, 1988) are among the most challenging and rewarding forms of measurement. They require a personal sensitivity and adaptability as well as the ability to stay within the bounds of the designed protocol." (Trochim & Donnelly, 2008)

Professional Application