Chapter Nine. Survey Research
STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES OF SURVEY RESEARCH
As indicated at the outset, surveys are particularly good for producing precise descriptions of mass populations. The U. S. Census is a good example of this, as well as the political polls that often kill the suspense of political campaigns by accurately predicting the results before the first ballot has been cast.
Surveys also allow for the collection of a great deal of data from a large number of people.
On the negative side, surveys share with experiments
the disadvantage of artificiality. There is always a risk that people's
answers to questionnaire items may not reflect their true feelings nor
they subsequent actions. Surveys can also seem superficial, when
compared with field research, for example, as we'll see in the next chapter.