Automation of instrument design, coding, data entry, data cleaning, and codebook generation

Abstract

In reviewing the survey process, it is clear that for all surveys certain common operations are involved which are independent of where the survey is done or who is in charge of it. To show how these various steps could become part of an integrated data processing system, I first want to describe each step separately, as it is accomplished normally. The description which follows is based on procedures executed at NORC, but similar steps are followed almost everywhere else. Certain terms might be unique to NORC, but their meaning should become clear from the context.