Sociological survey (general characteristics)

Brief characteristics of sociological surveys:

• Quantitative method;
• Standardized: the number, the order, the wording of questions, and the persons answering the questions are all aspects that are established before the actual interaction with the subjects;
• Use structured tools: the questionnaire;
• Carried out on large samples: hundreds/thousands of people;
• Collect relatively simple, general information;
• May use auxiliary staff (field operators).

Sociological surveys have several basic characteristics, which have been outlined above. Sociological surveys are associated with quantitative research, which uses numbers and statistical methods (Rotariu & Iluț, 1999: 49). They tend to be based on the numerical measurement of specific aspects of the phenomena studied; quantitative research aims to make measurements and analyses that can easily be replicated by other researchers (King et al., 2000: 17-18). The data collection tool used in sociological surveys is called a questionnaire (standardized data collection tool in sociological surveys). Most often, data collection is not only carried out by a team of researchers (who possess by expertise, such as sociologists, who are in charge of elaborating the research design of a study, develop its specific methodology, sample design, etc.), but the team may also include other staff, such as by field or call center operators (those who administer the questionnaires in the respondents' homes, or by telephone), supervisors who ensure that the data collection process is carried out in accordance with the methodological rules, data entry operators (following the administration of questionnaires in the field, answers are entered into a database), operators who check the correctness of the application of the questionnaires (a process that is made either by telephone or by field visits), and other people who can support the data collection and processing tasks.