H Geography - Human - Population - Methods of Data Collection

What are the four methods of data collection?

The three methods of data collection are;

• Censuses

• Civil registration

• Scottish Household Survey

• Visas and NHS

Censuses

• A census is a survey carried out every 10 years, each household is asked to complete a detailed questionnaire about the number of people living in their household.

• Households answer other questions on their social, economic, and cultural background

• A census is a legal requirement so householders may be fined if they do not complete it

Civil registration

• Civil registration of births and deaths provides an up to date count between censuses

Scottish Household Survey

• The Scottish Household Survey is a continuous survey based on a random sample of the population. This is cheaper than a full census.

Visas and NHS

Governments may also collect data on migrations, for example visa applications and NHS records provide health data