Questionnaire and survey

A questionnaire is a collection of data about a person, group of people or specific matter, through the elaboration of a battery of questions.

A survey is a collection of data on a group of people or a specific matter through a series of questions, the objective of which is to carry out a subsequent data analysis that allows measuring certain essential variables to make a decision..

The difference between questionnaire and survey is that the questionnaire is only a tool to obtain information, while the survey is a standardized tool to analyze the data..

What is a questionnaire?

It is a tool that is presented as a document that contains a series of questions with a logical sequence. The data obtained does not have to be analyzed, since its objective is the collection of relevant information.

The questionnaires can be used informally, such as when we ask someone about their particular tastes, or they can have a more formal use, such as medical questionnaires. In this case, the information is provided to health personnel and is kept confidential..

Types of questionnaires

Depending on the type of questions that are elaborated, the questionnaires can be:

• Open: the person who receives the questionnaire can develop their answer.
• Closed- The person can only choose one answer from a limited number of options (for example, yes or no).
• Mixed- Quiz questions can include open and closed questions, as long as they maintain a logical order.

Examples of questionnaires

There are many everyday situations in which questionnaires are used, such as:

• Medical questionnaire: the patient must answer a series of questions to the specialist to know his medical history.
• Preference questionnaire: the questions are aimed at knowing people's particular tastes.
• Entry questionnaire: they are documents that must be filled out before entering an institution or group (school, gym, course, etc.).

What is a survey?

A survey is a research tool that allows you to collect and analyze information through a series of standardized questions. In this case, the analysis of the data allows obtaining relevant information that will allow making certain decisions based on the objective of the investigation..

Surveys are a very useful tool in the area of ​​human resources, scientific research and the world of marketing, to name a few areas..

Types of surveys

• Descriptive: as its name implies, its objective is to describe the current conditions of a particular situation.
• Analytics: describe the current situation and also try to explain the reasons for this situation.

Survey examples

Here are some examples of surveys:

• Satisfaction surveys: used in post-sales processes or after using customer service channels.
• Population censuses: they are used to collect and measure sociodemographic, economic, etc..
• Market research surveys: they are used to discover trends, find out the opinion about a product, etc..

See also 21 types of interview.