1. ,/
W-hat Is a Suwey?
SURYE,Y RE,SE,ARCH
r Researchers are often interested in the
opinions of a large orouo of peoole about a
particular topic or issue. They ask a number
of questions, all reiated to the issue, to find
answers.
Nr'
t-
I r For example, imagine that the chairperson of | . fne responses given by each student in the
the counseling department at a large sample are coded into standardized
university is interested in determining how categories for purposes of analysis, and
students who are seeking a maste/s deoree these standardized records are then
feel about the proqram. She decides to analyzed to provide descriptions of the
conduct a survey to find out. students in the sample.
s She seleds a sample of 50 students fom among r The chairperson draws some conclusions
those cunently enrolled in the mastefs degree
program and constructs questions designed to
aboutthe opinions of the sample, which she
elicit their atUtudes to/ard the program. then generalizes to the oopulation from which
o She administers the questions to each of the S0 the sample was selected, in this case, all of
students in the sample in face-to-face interviews the graduate students seeking a master's
over a two-{,eek period. degree in counseling from this universig.
v ' r The previous examplethat most surveys
I
major characteristics
illustrates the three
Another example of survey research
r Take the case of a high school principal who
wants to find out how his faculty feels about
his administrative policies.
o 2. The mainway in which ihe
u l/Vhat do lhey like about his policies?
o A/hat do lhey disl'ke? why?
a Which policies do they like the best or least?
3, lnformation is collected from a samole ralher
than from every memberof the population.
