A cross-sectional survey is a type of research design that collects data from a population at a single point in time. This type of survey is often used in social sciences, public health, marketing, and other fields to gather information about a specific group of people or organizations. Cross-sectional surveys can provide insights into the characteristics, attitudes, behaviors, and trends within a population, allowing researchers to make inferences about the larger population from which the data was collected. This type of survey is efficient and cost-effective, but it does not show changes or trends over time like longitudinal surveys do.