Data Entry

Question 1

When collecting data with paper surveys, what data entry options might be available?

Answer 1

Manual data entry of data from paper surveys
Scanning paper surveys and having data entered remotely
Optical character recognition

Question 2

Survey specifications include

Answer 2

• A well-designed, clean survey
• Unique IDs and coding, in this case automatic coding
• Variable values, skip patterns, logical checks etc.

Question 3

Entering mock values to ensure responses can be entered…

What type of software check?

Answer 3

Bench testing

Question 4

Entering mock values to ensure skips work properly…

What type of software check?

Answer 4

Bench testing

Question 5

Checking that batteries have a long-enough life for field work

What type of software check?

Answer 5

Device testing

Question 6

Checking that data entered are stored accurately

What type of software check?

Answer 6

Data flow testing

Question 7

Why is it important to include special codes, and why in the form of: -999, -888, etc?

Answer 7

Special codes such as -999, etc, are for missing values. We want to know whether a value is missing because a respondent not knowing the answer suggests a very different interpretation from refusing to answer. Using a negatives allows us to not confuse this missing response with real data (eg age). The other options relate to unique IDs and questionnaire design.

Question 8

Which process is used for creating digital data collection software but not for creating manual data entry software

Answer 8

Device testing (e.g. battery life, extreme conditions)

Question 9

If the surveyor records a respondent’s response incorrectly on the questionnaire, at what point will this likely be caught in the data entry process

Answer 9

It won’t.

The double data entry process is designed to catch data entry error, not surveyor error.

Question 10

After entering our “audit” sample, to which dataset should we compare the resulting audited data?

Answer 10

The reconciled dataset from the first two entries after correcting for errors

Question 11

What are the benefits of outsourcing data entry operations?

Answer 11

We would not need to invest in hardware (computer, power backups, etc)

We would not need to invest time in learning how to program software (assuming we have no prior knowledge)

Question 12

When conducting data entry operations in-house, we should always invest in a power backup solution (e.g. Uninterrupted Power Supply or UPS) so that, at a minimum…

Answer 12

We have enough time to save whatever data has been entered and we can safely close the program

If we need electricity for 24 hours/day or 10 hours/day, we want to select a location that has a reliable power supply, and should not rely on self-generated power, or a power backup. The power back up is primarily to ensure we do not lose data we’ve already entered.

Question 13

What is the main reason it is unadvisable to pay data entry operators (DEOs) per survey entered?

Answer 13

It encourages speed over quality

Question 14

For large scale data collection, why might we require paper surveys over digital data collection?

Answer 14

If we do not have enough time to work on digital data collection software prior to survey launch

If we are administering exams to children

If we are collecting data from within a factory that does not allow digital devices for fear of losing intellectual property

Question 15

Questionnaire –> 1st Entry –> 2nd Entry –> XXXXX –> Reconciliation –> Complete Dataset

Which step is missing in the data entry process?

Answer 15

Identification of discrepancies

Question 16

When conducting double data entry, what is the main reason we want to use two separate data entry operators (DEOs)?

Answer 16

There is a lower likelihood of different DEOs making the same mistake twice

Question 17

Bench testing

Answer 17

• In-office testing of the survey and usually involves 3 to 6 evaluators
• Assign different scenarios to each person, considering your skip patterns

Question 18

Device Testing

Answer 18

• Test these devices thoroughly
• Battery testing for extreme scenarios
• Retest! Retest! Retest! until devices and survey are
cooperating.
– Enter and exit at different points in the survey
– Try everything to make the device malfunction
– Make any necessary corrections.

Question 19

Data flow Testing

Answer 19

• Check the flow of data
– From exporting data from devices to clean and merged data
– Should be done in conjunction with bench testing and device testing
• Inspect and examine dataset with Stata/R

Question 20

Ideal error rate when auditing surveys?

Answer 20

Error rate less than 0.5%

Reconcile results if over 0.5%