undertake a survey

USAGE SUMMARY

"undertake a survey" is a grammatically correct and usable phrase in written English.
You can use this phrase whenever you are referring to the act of performing or conducting a survey. For example, "We are going to undertake a survey to measure customer satisfaction."

✓ Grammatically correct

Science

News & Media

Encyclopedias

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

19 human-written examples

This fun activity from Teachit Primary asks students to undertake a survey of their classmates, looking at characteristics such as eye and hair colour, and siblings.

The Guardian

So we commissioned YouGov to undertake a survey of 1,000 other young people to get their views on the vision.

The Guardian

It was 1990, and NASA was getting ready to undertake a survey of the 1,000 nearest stars, looking for radio signals from aliens.

The New York Times - Science

In 2004 they were jointly commissioned by the UN Development Programme to undertake a survey of the livelihoods of ethnic peoples in northern Laos, in the wake of a controversial opium eradication campaign.

The Guardian

It is not possible to undertake a survey of all criticisms in the literature (and several core issues have already been discussed in the previous sections).

SEP

To provide this data, either an ILO Department of Statistics questionnaire is used to undertake a survey or information can be used from their national labour force or informal sector surveys already conducted (for further details, see ILO 2012).

Journal of Global Entrepreneurship Research

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

41 human-written examples

Chesney undertook a survey of the Euphrates River.

Encyclopedia Britannica

The Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development CIPDD) recently undertook a survey based on data from 700 public and private sector employers.

The Guardian - Opinion

After studying Old Norwegian, Aasen undertook a survey of the contemporary Norwegian dialects.

Encyclopedia Britannica

To determine what those salary levels were, the Labor Department undertook a survey.

The New York Times

The charity undertook a survey of 3,293 adults selected to be representative of the whole UK population.

The Guardian

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Always define the scope and objectives of the survey before you "undertake a survey" to ensure it aligns with your research goals and available resources.

Common error

While "undertake a survey" is grammatically correct, it can sound overly formal in casual conversation. In informal settings, consider using simpler alternatives like "conduct", "do", or "carry out" to avoid sounding pretentious.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "undertake a survey" functions as a verb phrase followed by a noun, where "undertake" acts as a transitive verb indicating the action of beginning or engaging in the activity described by the noun "survey". According to Ludwig, this is a grammatically sound and usable phrase.

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

Science

45%

News & Media

30%

Encyclopedias

10%

Less common in

Formal & Business

5%

Wiki

5%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "undertake a survey" is a grammatically correct and commonly used expression, according to Ludwig, denoting the initiation or carrying out of a survey. It functions as a verb phrase with a noun, primarily used in formal contexts such as scientific research, news reporting, and encyclopedic articles. While alternatives like "conduct a survey" or "carry out a survey" exist, "undertake a survey" often implies a more serious and planned approach to data collection. Remember to consider the audience and context when choosing between "undertake a survey" and its synonyms, as overuse in informal settings can sound stilted.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

conduct a survey

Emphasizes the action of carrying out or managing the survey process.

carry out a survey

Similar to "conduct a survey", highlighting the execution of the survey.

perform a survey

Focuses on the completion or accomplishment of the survey.

administer a survey

Highlights the process of managing and distributing the survey.

implement a survey

Focuses on putting the survey into action.

execute a survey

Similar to "perform a survey" but suggests a more formal or systematic approach.

launch a survey

Emphasizes the initiation or commencement of the survey process.

start a survey

A more informal way to indicate the beginning of a survey.

initiate a survey

Highlights the formal commencement of the survey process.

commission a survey

Suggests that the survey is being formally requested or ordered.

FAQs

What does "undertake a survey" mean?

The phrase "undertake a survey" means to start or conduct a formal investigation or data collection process, typically involving questionnaires or interviews, to gather information from a specific group of people.

What can I say instead of "undertake a survey"?

You can use alternatives like "conduct a survey", "carry out a survey", or "perform a survey" depending on the context.

Is it more appropriate to say "undertake a survey" or "conduct a survey"?

Both "undertake a survey" and "conduct a survey" are correct. "Undertake" is slightly more formal than "conduct", but they are largely interchangeable.

What are some common reasons to "undertake a survey"?

Organizations might "undertake a survey" to gauge public opinion, gather data for research, evaluate customer satisfaction, or assess the needs of a community.