survey

(sər-vā', sûr'vā')

v., -veyed, -vey·ing, -veys.

v.tr.

1. To examine or look at comprehensively.
2. To inspect carefully; scrutinize: "Two women were surveying the other people on the platform" (Thomas Wolfe). See synonyms at see¹.
3. To determine the boundaries, area, or elevations of (land or structures on the earth's surface) by means of measuring angles and distances, using the techniques of geometry and trigonometry.
4. Chiefly British. To inspect and determine the structural condition of (a building).
5. To conduct a statistical survey on.
6. To range one's gaze leisurely over.

v.intr.
To make a survey.

n., pl., -veys. (sûr'vā')

1. A detailed inspection or investigation.
2. A general or comprehensive view.
3. A gathering of a sample of data or opinions considered to be representative of a whole.
4. 1. The process of surveying.
   2. A report on or map of what has been surveyed.
   3. An administrative agency charged with the responsibility of surveying: the U.S. Geological Survey.

[Middle English surveien, from Old French surveeir, from Medieval Latin supervidēre : Latin super-, super- + Latin vidēre, to look.]

surveyor sur·vey'or n.

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is spelt -or, not -er.

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1. process by which a parcel of land is measured and its area ascertained.


2. plan showing the measurements, boundaries, area, and contours.

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1. the process by which a parcel of land is measured and its area ascertained.


2. the plan showing the measurements, boundaries, area, and contours.


Example: A simplified survey (Figure 187).


3. a detailed canvass of attitudes or market characteristics. Compare market participant interview.


Example:

• A survey of residents showed that 95% favored zoning laws.


• A market survey was conducted to learn the rental rate in each office building in the CBD.

FIG. 187. SURVEY

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verb

1. To look at carefully or critically: check (out), con, examine, go over, inspect, peruse, scrutinize, study, traverse, view. Informal case. Idioms: give a going-over. See investigate.
2. To look at or on attentively or carefully: eye, observe, regard, scrutinize, watch. Idioms: have one'skeep aneye on, keep tabs on. See awareness/unawareness, see/not see.
3. To view broadly or from a height: look over, overlook, scan. See see/not see.

noun

1. A close or systematic study: analysis, examination, inspection, investigation, review. See investigate.
2. A general or comprehensive view or treatment: overview. See thoughts.

n

Definition: scrutiny, examination
Antonyms: ignorance, neglect, negligence

v

Definition: scrutinize, take stock of
Antonyms: ignore, neglect

The word "survey" comes from the Latin sur (over) and videre (to see), and it eventually came to mean a general or comprehensive view of anything. Studies that involve the systematic collection of data about populations are usually called surveys. This is especially true when they are concerned with large or widely dispersed groups of people. When they deal with only a fraction of a total population—a fraction representative of the total—they are called sample surveys. The term "sample survey" should ideally be used only if the part of the population studied is selected by accepted statistical methods.

Surveys can be classified broadly into two types—descriptive and analytical. In a descriptive survey the objective is simply to obtain certain information about large groups. In an analytical survey, comparisons are made between different subgroups of the population in order to discover whether differences exist among them that may enable researchers to form or verify hypotheses about the forces at work in the population.

Surveys differ in terms of purpose, subject matter, coverage, and source of information. In the field of epidemiology, surveys have been used to study the history of the health of populations, diagnose community health, study the working of health services, complete the clinical history of chronic diseases, search for the cause of health and disease, contribute to the formation of health care policy, and to evaluate the effects of different approaches to the organization of health services. More recently, health-survey data have been identified as a key resource for the development of health indicators, such as alcohol consumption and the prevalence of smoking, in the twenty-first century. The Health for All initiative of the World Health Organization is a policy that can be translated into three operational goals: increase in life expectancy and sustainable life; improved equity in health between and within countries; and access for all to sustainable health systems. Efforts have been made to promote standards for international comparability of such health indicators.

(SEE ALSO: National Health Surveys; Sampling; Survey Research Methods)

Bibliography

Bradburn, N. M., and Sudman, S. (1988). Polls and Surveys—Understanding What They Tell Us. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass Publishers.

Festinger, L., and Katz, D., eds. (1966). Research Methods in the Behavioral Sciences. New York: Holt, Rinehart and Winston.

Morris, J. N. (1975). Uses of Epidemiology, 3rd edition. London: Churchill Livingston.

Moser, C. A., and Kalton, G. (1989). Survey Methods in Social Investigation, 2nd edition. Aldershot, UK: Gower Publishing Company.

— WAYNE MILLAR

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1. A boundary and/or topographic mapping of a site.
2. A compilation of the measurements of an existing building.
3. An analysis of a building for use of space.
4. A determination of the owner’s requirements for a project.
5. An investigation and report of required data for a project.
6. The process of determining data relating to the physical or chemical characteristics of the earth, such as a land survey or topographic survey.

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A research technique that is primarily descriptive. It is used most commonly to gather information about individuals, for example the beliefs, attitudes, and values of different athletes. Surveys take many forms, but often use questionnaires and interviews.

Dispose of or evaluate for value to the mission.

(DOD) The directed effort to determine the location and the nature of a chemical, biological, and radiological hazard in an area.

A comprehensive examination of an area or population for a particular purpose. The survey may be of a part, e.g. cross-sectional survey, or for a particular end-result, e.g. a prevalence survey, or by the use of a particular method, e.g. aerial survey, or a combination of these, e.g. seroepidemiological.

• s. radiograph — a plain radiograph of a large area before embarking on a special radiographic technique for achieving special results. Called also scout radiography.

n

The study and examination of an area of consideration, a diagnostic cast, or a radiograph.

For a list of words related to surveyor, see:

• Occupations and Job Titles

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See words rhyming with "surveyor."

This entry is from Wikipedia, the leading user-contributed encyclopedia. It may not have been reviewed by professional editors (see full disclaimer)

Common misspelling(s) of surveyor

• surveyer

Dansk (Danish)
v. tr. - undersøge, rundspørge, bese, besigtige, inspicere, syne, se ud over, vurdere, kortlægge
v. intr. - foretage syn af/over, undersøge statistisk
n. - undersøgelse, rundspørge, inspektion, besigtigelse, overblik, oversigt, kortlægning, vurdering

Nederlands (Dutch)
inspecteren, overzien, ramen, opmeten, landmeten, overzicht krijgen, onderzoeken, enquête houden, opmeting, overzicht, onderzoek, enquête, inspectie, raming, landmeting

Français (French)
v. tr. - (gén) faire une étude de, faire un sondage parmi, faire un sondage sur, (GB) faire une expertise de, (Géog, Géol) faire l'étude topographique de, (gén) contempler
v. intr. - faire une étude/un sondage
n. - (gén) enquête, sondage, étude, (GB) expertise, rapport d'expertise, (Géog, Géol) levé topographique, levé hydrographique, rapide examen

Deutsch (German)
n. - Vermessung, Betrachtung, Gutachten, Überblick, Umfrage
v. - vermessen, überblicken, bewerten, inspizieren

Ελληνική (Greek)
n. - επισκόπηση, καταμέτρηση, επιθεώρηση (καταλληλότητας ή εκτίμησης ζημίας), χωροστάθμηση, τοπογράφηση, τοπογραφικό (σχέδιο), τοπογραφική υπηρεσία, χαρτογράφηση, (οικοδ.) επιμέτρηση
v. - επισκοπώ, καταμετρώ, χαρτογραφώ, αποτυπώνω

Italiano (Italian)
contemplare, stimare, ispezionare, misura, riassunto, veduta generale, esame, perizia, inchiesta, sondaggio

Português (Portuguese)
n. - vistoria (f)
v. - vistoriar

Русский (Russian)
обозрение, обзор, инспектирование, отчет, обследование, изыскание, обозревать, осматривать, исследовать, инспектировать, делать обзор, производить съемку

Español (Spanish)
v. tr. - examinar, inspeccionar, medir, levantar un plano de, apear, deslindar, reconocer, registrar, presentar, estudiar en conjunto, dar una ojeada general
v. intr. - realizar operaciones de agrimensura o topografía
n. - sinopsis, visión de conjunto, vista general, investigación, examen, reconocimiento, peritaje, encuesta, sondeo de opinión

Svenska (Swedish)
n. - undersökning, granskning, mätning, kartläggning, lantmätning
v. - överblicka, se ut över, ge en översikt över, mäta, besiktiga

中文（简体）(Chinese (Simplified))
调查, 测量, 审视, 勘定, 测量土地, 民意调查, 调查报告, 全面的考察

中文（繁體）(Chinese (Traditional))
v. tr. - 調查, 測量, 審視, 勘定
v. intr. - 測量土地
n. - 調查, 民意調查, 調查報告, 全面的考察

한국어 (Korean)
v. tr. - 바라보다, 살펴보다, 조사하다
v. intr. - 측량을 하다
n. - 바라다봄, 개관, 측량

日本語 (Japanese)
n. - 概観, 調査, 測量, 測量図
v. - 見渡す, 全体的に調べる, 概説する, 測量する, 検分する

العربيه (Arabic)
‏(الاسم) مسح , فحص (فعل) يمسح ( الاراضي , ) يعاين , يلقي نظرة‏

עברית (Hebrew)
v. tr. - ‮סקר, ערך סקר, השקיף, בחן, מדד, מיפה‬
v. intr. - ‮עבד כמודד-קרקעות‬
n. - ‮סקירה, תסקיר, בדיקה, מדידה, תרשים, שרטוט, מפה‬

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