Data Preparation Steps
- Interviewing / self completion
- Receiving completed questionnaires
- Validating
- Checking and editing
- Coding
- Data entry
- Verifying
Processing Paper Questionnaire
- Control register
- Outcome
o Completed interview
o Refusal
o Did not speak English
o Ineligible
o No contact
o In phone surveys: dead number / fax / engaged
- Questionnaire identification
Validating
- Determining when questionnaire is suitable to be included in analysis
o Right person completed
o Was interview conducted the right way
§ Validate 10%
§ Monitor real time
§ Call back
Checking & Editing
- Editing – visual check – acceptable for data processing
- Issues
o Incomplete / pages missing
o Pattern of responses may show respondent did not understand instructions / not followed correctly
o Responses may show little variance, eg – all questions rated 4 on likert scale
- Actions
o Check filter / skip / branch questions have been followed
o All relevant questions followed
o Deal with incomplete questionnaires
o Real with irregularities, ie, aged 13 with Phd
è Create new response category : information not provided
è Best guess
Coding
- Pre-coded vs open ended
- Open ended may be coded by researcher
- Expand other category
- Codebook
o Exact question
o Variable name
o Data type
o Explanation of valid codes
o Definition of missing values
o Special instructions
- Issues in coding
o More codes, greater detail
o Fewer codes, easier analysis
- How to code an open response question
- How to code demographic questions
- Coding others
- Data entry
Verification
- Setting data entry controls
- Manually scanning data
- Re-entry
- Computer based verification
- Changing data values (version control)
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