What is a survey?

A survey is a systematic way of gathering information from a group of people. Researchers, businesses and governments use surveys to learn about opinions, experiences and behaviours. A survey can be as simple as one multiple choice question or as complex as a multi‑page instrument with branching logic. Regardless of length, the goal is the same: to collect data that can inform decisions or answer a research question.

Surveys differ from casual conversations in a few ways. First, they’re structured. Questions are carefully designed to minimise bias and ambiguity. Second, they involve sampling. Rather than asking everyone in a population, you survey a subset that represents the whole. Third, surveys typically use consistent answer formats—like rating scales, yes/no options or open‑ended fields—so results can be analysed quantitatively or qualitatively. Finally, surveys protect confidentiality; respondents may provide honest answers when assured their responses are anonymous.

Common examples include customer satisfaction surveys, employee engagement surveys, public opinion polls and academic research studies. Surveys can be delivered via email, web links, phone calls, paper forms or in‑app prompts. To learn more about how surveys differ from other research methods, see Questionnaire vs. survey – are they the same? and Panel surveys vs. focus group – what’s the difference?.

If you are planning a survey, you can estimate required responses with our Sample Size Calculator and sanity‑check accuracy with the Margin of Error Calculator.