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Census & Servey

A census collects information from every member of the population and aims to be 100% representative. It provides accurate, detailed data but is expensive and time-consuming to conduct. A survey collects information from a sample of the population and is less expensive and time-consuming than a census but provides less accurate data as it does not include all members of the population. The key differences are that a census involves the entire population while a survey uses a sample, with censuses being more accurate but also more expensive and lengthy than surveys.

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376 views4 pages

Census & Servey

A census collects information from every member of the population and aims to be 100% representative. It provides accurate, detailed data but is expensive and time-consuming to conduct. A survey collects information from a sample of the population and is less expensive and time-consuming than a census but provides less accurate data as it does not include all members of the population. The key differences are that a census involves the entire population while a survey uses a sample, with censuses being more accurate but also more expensive and lengthy than surveys.

Uploaded by

mamuka kassa
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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What is a Census

A census is a type of data collection method that involves the entire population; in a census,
information is gathered from every member of the population. No sampling method is used in a
census; in fact, you can say that 100% sample is being used in a census. Since all members have
participated in the census, the collected data is more accurate and detailed. The detailed,
accurate data which is representative of the whole population is one of the best advantages of a
census.
The term census is mostly associated with national population and housing censuses. As United
Nations defines census should be conducted at least every ten years. It is not possible to conduct
censuses frequently as they involve very long and expensive procedures. Census is usually
carried out by the government of a country.

What is a Survey
A survey is a data collection method that only involves part of the total population. In a
survey, a sample is selected to represent the whole population. Thus, a survey is a data
collection activity that involves only a sample of the population. A survey can focus on different
types of topics and information such as opinions, behaviors, preferences, or factual information.
Different data collection methods such as polls, interviews, questionnaires, etc. can be also used.
Since a survey involves only a sample of the entire population, it is not as expensive or time-
consuming as a census. They can be also conducted more frequently. As a result, surveys have
become a popular data collection technique in many research fields. Surveys can be conducted
to gain information about different research fields such as marketing, psychology, sociology, etc.

Comparison Chart

Census Survey
A type of data collection that collects
A type of data collection that collects information about every
information from a sample of the population is
member of the population is known as census.
known as survey.
Sample Selection
A sample is selected in a survey to represent
Census does not use any sample selection to collect information.
whole information.
Accurateness
The survey is not as much accurate or reliable
Census contains more information and is more accurate.
as a census.
Time required
Census requires more time to complete. A survey can be completed in a shorter period
of time.
Expensive
It is a more expensive process to conduct a census. Survey conduction is a less expensive process.
Conducted By
Census is commonly conducted by the government. Anyone can conduct a survey.
Frequency
Census cannot be conducted frequently. A survey can be conducted more frequently.
Importance
It may focus on different types of information

It is mostly associated with housing censuses and national population and topics in different fields, such as opinions,

to count all housing units and persons in a specific region. preferences, behaviors, or factual

information, etc.

Difference between Census and Sample Surveys

Parameter Census Sample Survey

A statistical method that


A statistical method that
studies only a representative
Definition studies all the units or
group of the population, and
members of a population.
not all its members.

Calculation Total/Complete Partial


Time involved It is a time-consuming process. It is a quicker process.

It is a relatively inexpensive
Cost involved It is a costly method.
method.

The results obtained are The results are relatively


accurate as each member is inaccurate due to leaving out of
Accuracy
surveyed. So, there is a items from the sample. The
negligible error. resulting error is large.

Reliability Highly reliable Low reliability

The smaller the sample size,


Error Not present
the larger the error.

This method is suited for This method is suited for


Relevance
heterogeneous data. homogeneous data.

Example of census and survey

Collection of data from a whole population rather than just a sample. Example:
doing a survey of travel time by ... ... asking everyone at school is a census
(of the school). ... but asking only 50 randomly chosen people is a sample.

2/ For example, if you want to carry out a survey to find out student's feedback about the
facilities of your school, all the students of your school would form a part of the 'population' for
your study.

Survey example
1/A good example of this is when a researcher visits a school to understand how
students interact with each other during extra-curricular activities.
2/The process involves asking people for information through a questionnaire, which can be
either online or offline.

3/or example, opinion polls, consumer surveys, demographic and economic surveys),


surveys of other types of populations (such as geological surveys and administrative records)
are also common.

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