Software Engineering Institute

A survey can characterize the knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors of a large group of people through the study of a subset of them. However, to protect the validity of conclusions drawn from a survey, certain procedures must be followed throughout the process of designing, developing, and distributing the survey questionnaire.  

Surveys are used extensively by software and systems engineering organizations to provide insight into complex issues, assist with problem solving, and support effective decision making. 

This document presents a seven-stage, end-to-end process for conducting a survey.