What method should Brewer use to gather data on college student dining habits?

Using a survey to gather data on college student dining habits is highly effective because it allows Brewer to collect information from a large and diverse population efficiently. Surveys can be designed to include a variety of questions, such as multiple-choice or open-ended items, which can provide quantitative data for statistical analysis as well as qualitative insights into student preferences and behaviors.

Surveys also facilitate anonymity and help to reduce response bias, as students may feel more comfortable providing honest answers about their dining habits when they are not being directly observed. Additionally, the data collected through surveys can be easily aggregated and analyzed, making it ideal for understanding trends and patterns in the dining habits of college students.

Other methods, such as observation, can be time-consuming and might not capture the full context of students' dining choices, as they only reflect behavior at the moment of observation. Case studies focus on in-depth analysis of a single individual or a small group, which would limit the ability to generalize findings to the larger student population. Experiments typically involve manipulation of variables to determine cause and effect, which may not be feasible or ethical in studying dining habits. Therefore, a survey is the most appropriate choice for this particular research question.