Social Surveys

• Social surveys

  Research that involves obtaining information from a large group of people in a relatively short period of time, that is representative of society
• Social surveys are favoured by positivists, as they use methods/approaches that generate data from which findings can be generalised to the wider population, and are able to argue that society should be studied systematically
• Social surveys

  • Census
  • Crime Survey of England & Wales (CSEW).
  • British Social Attitudes Survey
• Social Surveys


  Involve obtaining information in a standardized form for a large group of people through the use of a structured questionnaire or a structured interview
• Social Surveys


  • Favoured by Positivists
  • Generate data from which findings can be generalized to the wider population
  • Reliable as they argue society should be studied objectively
• British Social Attitudes Survey BSAS


  Tracks the views and opinions of the public on the big issues facing the country such as health, education and how the country is run
• British Social Attitudes Survey BSAS

  1. Households are randomly selected from the Postcode Address File, across England, Scotland and Wales

  2. A researcher visits the household where a structured interview takes place

  3. A range of pre-selected questions and answers are asked, covering topics such as healthcare, education, values and equality

  4. Answers are then combined together, with all personal information remaining completely confidential
• For examination skills and practice refer to Exam Booklet 1: Research Methods