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Using Survey Data

For some social problems, such as those located within your school, survey data may be a source of evidence of the existing problem. Surveys can provide factual or attitudinal data. If you are analyzing the problem of poor academic performance in your high school, survey data could supplement the statistics you obtained from the Internet (NY, for example, posts the annual results of Regents examination results for each high school). Student surveys could obtain factual data such as how many hours a week students spend doing homework. Data could also reveal students’ attitudes about the importance of good grades. Not only will survey data provide a source of evidence about the nature of the problem, surveys can also be used to suggest the causes of the problem and attitudes about possible solutions.

More on surveys.