The social media world is a great place to go to when conducting survey research because you are able to post the survey of which you want answers from to a large population, and this large population has the option of whether they'd like to respond to the survey or not, making it voluntary for the participants.
However, it is best to understand the importance of surveys through an actual example. In the example I found I was able to combine the ever-so-present social media into looking at how surveys are a good form of performing quantitative research. In research done by the Pew Research Center on the use of specific social media networks by certain age groups, we are able to see which social media network attracts which demographic, in terms of age specifically. The research done by surveys allowed for the researchers to notice certain trends regarding age and use of specific social media networks. Based on their survey research they were able to determine that social media sites such as Facebook have contributed to the decline in blogging.
Surveys are significant in conducting research because the results could often be grouped into categories making it easier to analyze the results of the research and find answers to the research questions. The downside of using surveys is that you are not receiving the kind of information you would receive when performing qualitative research, where you would gain more knowledge on the opinions behind the answers. This makes surveys good when you are looking for more clear answers and less perceptions and opinions. However, triangulation, the use of both quantitative and qualitative research, is the most beneficial way to perform research because you can gain not only clear-cut answers from research methods such as surveys, but also gain knowledge as to why people feel that way in regards to their answers.
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