The questionnaire finally administered to a certain sample of the entire population in the process of the study is called sample survey. This sample is a group of people who closely represent the characteristics of a population. Sample is chosen carefully so that it fulfils all the requisites of a study.

A short questionnaire administered to check whether the chosen respondents actually meet the standards required for a certain study is called the screener survey.

Survey panel is a group of respondents who are chosen to participate in a survey. They closely fulfil the requisites of a study.

Sweepstakes are held as prize draws with an assigned frequency of occurrence, commonly having cash prizes. These are held for all the enrolled panellists and participation in a study is not a criterion for entry.

Sample is a group that is selected to be studied as a representative of the true population for any given research experiment. Since in most cases due to the sheer size of the population it is next to impossible to conduct a research study on the entire population, a sample is chosen out of the population in order to conduct the study. The studies are often conducted to understand how the population would react to an item by first testing it on a sample that represents the population, which the item would ultimately target.

Sampling is the research process in which a segment or sample of a population is used to represent the activities, attitudes, opinions, interests, desires and expectations of the entire population. The results from the sample study can be deduced, extended and projected upon the entire population.

Screener is the testing questionnaire or questions used to determine if the available participants may suit certain specific studies.

Screening is the process of contacting, qualifying and inviting the respondents to participate in additional research.

Screenout is referred to denote the respondents who do not meet the qualifying criteria to participate in the survey research.

Secondary Research is the research conducted by using the secondary data. Usually the data collected was for a different study conducted at an earlier time. The fresh analysis of this archived data in context with the present study at hand for the application to the present study is secondary research.

Selection is the procedure that is utilized in order to distinguish and decide which records to investigate for exploring the targeted characteristics from a population.

Selective Research is a process of assortment that the researchers undergo through which it is determined that out of the many alternatives what they would choose to study and explore further.

Self-Administered Questionnaires (SAQ) are the questionnaires, which are executed and completed without an interviewer or any outside intervention.

Sentence and story completion is a research technique in which the moderator begins a story or sentence and the respondents are then asked to complete it, in their own words, using their own imagination. This technique brings out many hidden thoughts and emotions and is very useful in clinical and psychological studies.

Shopper patterns are visual mapping of the routes shoppers generally take within a store. These are observed mappings that establish the patterns used by shoppers by monitoring their footsteps within a store.

Sign-Out Sheets or Sign-Off Sheets are the forms that go on records and need to be completed at the end of a study so that a research facility has an accurate account of identity and participation details of all the respondents. This is done in order to assure tracking of compensations of the respondents.

Simple Random Sample (SRS) is also called the random sample. In this, every unit of the population has an equal chance of being selected.

Simulated Sales Test is a setup used to test the success of a product through measuring the sales potential through trial and use in an artificial market setting that emulates the true conditions of the marketplace.

Simulated Test Market (STM) is the testing of the success of the product. It is done through statistics and data analysis from survey results. This method is less expensive than a market simulation study.

Site evaluation is assessment of a geographical location by the demographic, economic and ethnographic characteristics. This study is especially useful for determining the potential markets that may exist within certain geographic locations. This study gives a fair idea of the kinds products and services that may be responded well to on the particular location.

The respondents who do not read the sample questionnaire properly and just fill out the answers at random are known as speedsters. There are organizations where speedsters can be reported so that action can be taken against them for jeopardizing the research results.

Skip pattern is used in questionnaires. In this the survey format is such that certain questions are related to the response of a previous question. For example, the survey may say something like “Please go to question 8 if the response to question 2 is No”. This is because the questions that immediately follow the question 2 would be related to response “Yes” for that question.

Corporate organizations get associated with a website by helping to fund that website or give it monetary help. It is often reciprocated by placing an advertisement of the organization on the website. The advertiser gains from either a content integration or a conventional ad.

Static-Group Comparison is a research technique where a research is pre-tested using both an experimental group and a control group. There is a lack of random selection for the sample and no pre-measurements are taken.

Statistics are the calculated numerical values derived from the number of observations and occurrences in a sample.

Structured Observation is a research study in which the observer records what is witnessed factually. These observations are recorded skilfully by filling out a questionnaire form or counting the occurrences of a certain activity.

Structured Query Language (SQL) is the computer interfacing programming language that accesses data from a data warehouse.

Structured Questionnaire is the one, which includes fixed answers in the form of multiple choices. They can be administered by an interviewer or self-administered. The interviewer reads the questions and records the respondents’ selected answers.

Subjective Questions are the questions where the responses sought have to be given by the respondents in their own words as opposed to selecting an answer from a list. Subjective questions are also called open-ended questions.

The responses of a structured questionnaire are called structured responses. They are the set responses from which the respondents must choose an answer. Usually they are in a multiple choice format.

Survey objectives are the aims or targets that are sought by the researchers through a questionnaire.

Survey research is the method of research which seeks to collect participant responses on facts, opinions, and attitudes through questionnaires.

Synchronous Online Groups are the online focus groups wherein people from one gender participate. There may be one or more moderators. Participants are usually six in number and clients have an opportunity to participate also through modified rooms.

Syndicated Research is the research performed collectively by more than one organization. The results are useful to multiple clients and so the research expenditure is also shared by them all.

Syndicated Service Research Firms are those marketing research organizations, which collect, package and sell their data to many clients so that each client receives the same information. They also have the capacity to run researches for many organizations, all seeking similar objectives, at the same time.