Short answers, pulled from the story.
The Statistical Society of London conducted the first known written questionnaire in 1838. This committee printed a list of questions to gather data on industrial and social conditions and record the history of strikes.
The United States holds its national census every ten years since 1790. The United Nations recommends that population censuses be taken at least every 10 years to ensure individual enumeration and universality within a defined territory.
Online surveys accounted for 20% of global data collection expenditure as of 2006. The development of the Internet fostered web surveys which now offer innovative ways to gather data and eliminate the laborious process of data entry.
The National Survey of Family Growth conducted 22,682 interviews between 2006 and 2010. This survey relies on the census framework to understand trends in fertility and family structure.
The Panel Study of Income Dynamics began collecting data from the same families and their descendants in 1968. As of 2009, this longitudinal study involved more than 9,000 individuals.
The Generations and Gender Survey has collected at least one wave of surveys in 19 countries. This global survey includes countries in Europe as well as Australia and Japan with an average of 9,000 respondents per country.