# OE-0005: Survey

**Status:** Draft
**Depends on:** OE-0004 (Observation)
**Phase:** The Bedrock Phase

## Overview

A survey is a structured assessment of the current state of engineering understanding on a specific topic. Surveys translate raw observations into organized, communicable form.

## Definition

A survey captures the landscape of what is known, what is unknown, and what is contested within a specific engineering domain. It is not an opinion piece. It is not a literature review in the academic sense. It is an engineering assessment — a clear-eyed look at the current state of understanding.

## Purpose

Surveys serve as the bridge between isolated observations and structured understanding. They aggregate what has been observed, identify patterns, flag gaps, and create a foundation for the verification and decision-making processes that follow.

## Relationship to Observation

Surveys depend on observations (OE-0004) as their primary input. A survey without observations is speculation. A survey built on verified observations is engineering context.

## Status

This document establishes the role and structure of surveys within the Open Engineer standard. Detailed methodology for conducting surveys will be defined in subsequent specifications.