Definition
Survey
A survey collects data by asking planned questions to a defined group of people.
What it means
A survey is more than asking people something. Decide whose views you need, ask the same clear question, give fair answer choices when choices are used, and record every response the same way. Leading wording or asking only one kind of person can bend the result.
Remember it
Who will you ask? What will you ask? How will you record?
Example
To learn how pupils travel to school, randomly choose 40 pupils from the full school list and ask: “How did you travel to school today?” Record one option for each pupil: walk, bicycle, bus, car, or other.
Watch for
A survey here means collecting responses, not measuring land or inspecting a building.
Common mix-up
The survey is the questioning method; the sample is the people selected to answer.
Exact meaning
A survey is a data-collection method that asks a planned set of questions to members of a defined population or sample and records their responses; wording, response options, selection, and collection method can affect the results.