ABSTRACT
The first reaction of a soil surveyor upon receiving a survey brief must be to examine the operational details of the study in relation to the information which the client requires. It is the surveyor's responsibility to ensure, before commencing a survey, that the programme of work he is about to carry out will be sufficient to conform to the final terms of reference (TOR) agreed with the client. The TOR should also be critically examined in order to ensure that they will lead to the kind of information the client needs, and that any ambiguities or impossibilities are resolved.
