Data Capture Methonds

Data Capture Methods

1. How Data is Captured

   • Nature of Information
     • Names, Addresses and post codes are text
     • Height and Weight are numbers
     • A Number of factors affect how data is captured
   • How Data is captured?
     • Manually using paper based
     • Automatically using online forms
     • Using automated data capture systems with sensors such as temperature sensors or bar code readers
   • Data Capture Forms
     • Data Capture Forms are pre-printed forms with questions and spaces for the answers
     • Online forms are used to enter data directly into computer systems
     • Has to be collected in a suitable format so that it can be easily entered into a computer

2. Designing data Capture forms

   • What you should think about
     • Drop down menus
       • Boxes
         • Single Character Text Box
           • Pre-set Format
             • Radio Buttons
               • Validation Rules
   • Paper forms and online Forms
     • Paper forms for collecting data are given to people so that they can fill them in and return them.
     • using paper forms to collect information from people can be costly because of the cost of
       • The paper and printing
         • The time taken by the person asking the questions
           • The time for the person transcribing the data from the paper form into the computer system
             • The time taken to check that the data has been entered accurately