Surveys, Questionnaires, and Interviews

Survey research enables gathering a lot of data across a large sample of participants administered at one time or multiple time points. In this chapter we describe essential features of survey research, types of research questions suited to survey research, and sampling techniques. Two main methods for conducting survey research (questionnaires and interviews) are discussed. We draw attention to important considerations in devising questions and interpreting responses, and we comment briefly on analytical techniques. We conclude with a discussion of the benefits and limitations of survey research. What are the main features of a scientific survey? How might you design