ABSTRACT
Surveys are the most widely used methods for collecting data in criminal justice research. As techniques of gathering information, surveys describe the nature and extent of a specified set of data ranging from physical counts and frequencies to attitudes and opinions. In the first part of this chapter, we provide an overview of the purposes of survey research. Although the term often refers to a particular type of empirical research, there are many different kinds of surveys. We are concerned specifically with the use of surveys in face-to-face interviews with individuals drawn from a sample. Three types of interviews are discussed: structured, semi-structured, and unstructured. Since surveys can also be administered via telephone and mail, we will also discuss these methods.
