SURVEY METHOD

• Social survey is the most commonly used research technique in Sociology. It is a methodical
gathering of social data from a sample of the target population through standardized
interviews or questionnaires. The data thus collected is collated and systematically analyzed
quantitatively. It provides descriptive information about the variables studied, correlations
between two or more variables, and causal analysis
• A survey is a research method used for collecting data from a predefined group of
respondents to gain information and insights into various topics of interest. They can have
conducted it in many ways depending on the methodology chosen and the study’s goal.
• As a research method, a survey collects data from subjects who respond to a series of
questions about behaviors and opinions, often in the form of a questionnaire, but surveys can
also take the form of interviews with open-ended questions and/or closed-ended questions.
The survey is the most widely used scientific research method in sociology. The standard
survey format allows individuals a level of anonymity in which they can express personal
ideas. 
• According to Hsin pao yang-“A social survey is usually an
enquiry into the composition, activities and living conditions of
a group of people.” According to Morse- “The Survey is, in brief
simply a method of analysis in scientific and orderly form and
for defined purposes of a given social situation or problem or
population
•The General Social Survey, described earlier, is an example of a face-to-face survey, in which interviewers meet with
respondents to ask them questions. This type of survey can yield a lot of information, because interviewers typically
will spend at least an hour asking their questions, and a high response rate (the percentage of all people in the sample
who agree to be interviewed), which is important to be able to generalize the survey’s results to the entire population.
On the downside, this type of survey can be very expensive and time-consuming to conduct.
•Because of these drawbacks, sociologists and other researchers have turned to telephone surveys. Most Gallup Polls
are conducted over the telephone. Computers do random-digit dialing, which results in a random sample of all
telephone numbers being selected. Although the response rate and the number of questions asked are both lower than
in face-to-face surveys (people can just hang up the phone at the outset or let their answering machine take the call),
the ease and low expense of telephone surveys are making them increasingly popular.
•Mailed surveys, done by mailing questionnaires to respondents, are still used, but not as often as before. Compared
with face-to-face surveys, mailed questionnaires are less expensive and time consuming but have lower response rates,
because many people simply throw out the questionnaire along with other junk mail.
•Whereas mailed surveys are becoming less popular, surveys done over the Internet are becoming more popular, as they
can reach many people at very low expense. A major problem with Web surveys is that their results cannot necessarily
be generalized to the entire population, because not everyone has access to the Internet.
•Most researchers choose to survey a small sector of the population, or a sample: that is, a manageable number of
subjects who represent a larger population. The success of a study depends on how well a population is represented
by the sample.
• Objectives of social survey: The following are the major objectives which social
survey strives to achieve— a) Collection of data related to the social aspect of
communitySocial survey studies individuals as members of society and in this way
studies social circumstances and problems. b) Study of social problems, labor
class and its problems- In social survey social problems of the labor class like
illiteracy, poverty, in sanitation, unemployment, drinking, crime, juvenile delinquency,
prostitution, labor problems etc, are studied. c) Practical and utilitarian view point-
Studies of social survey are made from a practical and utilitarian view point in
order that suggestions for constructive programs in solving different problems
may be offered. d) Search for causal, relationship- Every social event has some
reason or the other, so social survey is also done to find out the reasons behind the
incident. e) Re –testing of social theories- one of its main objectives is to retest
social theories. f) Formulation and testing of Hypothesis
• Subject matter of social survey:- Broadly the subject matter of social
surveys are divided into1. D3. Opinion and attitude emograph2. Social
activitiesic features
• he following are benefits of 
• survey research
1.:Cost-effective
2.Generalizable
3.Reliable
4.Versatile
Many people can be included. If given to a random sample of the population,
a survey’s results can be generalized to the population.
• Weaknesses of Survey Method
• As with all methods of data collection, survey research also comes with a few
drawbacks. First, while one might argue that surveys are flexible in the sense that
we can ask any number of questions on any number of topics in them, the fact
that the survey researcher is generally stuck with a single instrument for collecting
data (the questionnaire), surveys are in many ways rather inflexible.
• Validity can also be a problem with surveys. Survey questions are standardized
thus it can be difficult to ask anything other than very general questions that a
broad range of people will understand. Because of this, survey results may not be
as valid as results obtained using methods of data collection that allow a
researcher to more comprehensively examine whatever topic is being studied.
• Large surveys are expensive and time consuming. Although much information is
gathered, this information is relatively superficial.