Research is critical to civilization. It is the quest for truth, understanding and developing new ideas. Several research methods exist, of which surveys play an integral part. Surveys are required to gather data on an array of fields such as market research, politics, healthcare, education, employee satisfaction, tourism and so on. Just a few years back, this was the toughest part of the whole process. One needed to carefully draft a questionnaire, search people, contact them personally through post, telephone or in person, and collect data. All that vast amount of data collected would then be coded and analyzed, costing time, money and effort. Survey software is the one-stop solution for all research woes.

It comes as one of the biggest boons for all research purposes. It is a timesaving, economical, efficient, effortless, accurate and far-reaching means of data collection. The ease of creating a survey with survey software lies in the step-by-step automated process, with many options available. The basic features of survey software include designing surveys, having a question library to choose questions from, entering data, analyzing responses using statistical methods, creating graphs and tables, and other general features like spell check and editing. Once prepared, the survey can be conducted through emails or the phone, published in print or online, and sent to an unlimited number of people, all with just a click of a mouse.

Software packages of different vendors are available with a common set of features mentioned above, as well as their own USPs. A few are equipped with advanced features, such as the ability to record telephone-based interviews. Voice-capture modules record the respondents voice, which can make an interesting sample in presentations of the research. This also ensures that meanings are not changed, which often happens when researchers write responses.

A large number of vendors supply survey software online. Many of them provide free trials for a month, and a money back guarantee. Technical support and training is also provided in most cases. Most of these packs can be supported by home PCs. To purchase this software, one needs to understand and compare all features in detail according to the intended usage.

Have more time for actual development and let survey software do the backbreaking work.