Prieskum

Prieskum is a term used in Slovak and Czech to denote the act of surveying, investigating, or reconnaissance. In modern usage it refers to a systematic process of collecting information from a sample of a population in order to infer characteristics of the whole. Prieskum is widely used in market research, public opinion polling, journalism, science, and public administration.

The word is derived from Slavic roots associated with exploring or searching. In practice, prieskum covers a range of activities, from structured surveys of people to field observations in science and archaeology.

Common types include market or consumer prieskum (prieskum trhu), public opinion surveys, epidemiological or social surveys, and field prieskums in geography, environmental science, or archaeology. The methods used depend on the goal but typically involve defining the target population, selecting a sample, collecting data (by questionnaire, interview, or observation), and analyzing the results with statistical tools.

Ethical considerations are important, including informed consent, privacy, and the responsible reporting of findings. Limitations include sampling bias, nonresponse, and measurement error, which researchers address through careful design, weighting, and transparency about methods. Prieskum is a central tool in decision making, policy evaluation, and social science research, and it exists in many languages with regional variants such as průzkum in Czech.