Seeing is believing, they say. Making direct observations, when the situation allows for it, is a very quick and effective way of collecting data with minimal intrusion. Establishing the right mechanism for making the observation is all you need.
A survey can be carried out through directlyadministered questionnaires when the sample subjects are relatively well-versed with the ideas being discussed and comfortable at making the right responses without assistance. A survey about newspaper reading habits, for example, would be perfect for this mode.
Below is some related thought leadership.
Data-Collection-Guidelines
