The survey method is effectively used to study opinions, attitudes, and social facts. A primary example is during elections, where surveys are conducted to predict if people would vote for a particular political party or favour a specific candidate. This allows for gathering information quickly from a large population.

Another situation involves studying social realities, such as finding out facts like the literacy rate at a particular time, religious affiliations, or the income level of a specific group. It is also useful for assessing attitudes towards issues like family planning or panchayati raj institutions.

However, there are limitations to this method. First, people may provide inaccurate information due to memory lapses, or they may be unwilling to reveal their true beliefs regarding a sensitive issue. This affects the authenticity of the data collected.

Second, respondents sometimes offer responses they think the researcher wants to hear rather than their honest opinions. This bias compromises the reliability of the findings and presents a distorted picture of reality.

Lastly, if personal interviews are used, the process can be time-consuming and may not be cost-effective, as obtaining information from a single person might take an hour or more.