E3 Using and manipulating data GapFill

Data can be used as a very powerful tool, but first it has to be collected and then  analyseddeletedshreddedinterfaced.

 PrimaryIncompleteIncorrectSecondary data is data that you or a business has collected for a specific purpose.  IncorrectSecondaryPrimaryIncomplete data was collected by somebody else for a different purpose, but it can still be useful.

A quick and easy way of collecting a large amount of data is a  validationfocus groupwebinarsurvey, usually asking for a little bit of data about the respondent, and their opinions or behaviour – for example you might be asked to complete one about satisfaction with a supermarket or restaurant.

A similar, but often longer method is a  surveyvalidationquestionnairewebinar. It may have a range of different question types. When there is a set list of options such as a tick-box or scale, the question is said to be  openclosedclearneutral. But when there is a box for you to write a longer answer, the question is said to be  openclearunclearclosed. Another word that describes this type of question is  qualitativequantitativeexcusablequick – they can be very useful by giving the questioner a lot of information, but take longer to ‘code’ later. This type of data collection may be carried out in person, which is beneficial because the question can be rephrased if the respondent does not appear to  readunderstandhearexplain what is being asked.

A  interviewincompletequestionnairefocus group is where several people are asked to attend and are asked open questions – they might be used when planning a new product or event to gauge opinion and suitability.

 InverviewsWebinarsSurveysConferences are perhaps the most intense form of data collection. Usually one person is asked questions by one person or a small panel. They are widely used in the process of  firinghiringinformingpaying new staff, or during performance reviews and during product development.

Data collected must be accurate for it to be useful. Errors in the data can appear early on – for example when the data is coded or  informedoutputentereddeleted into a system. To help reduce the errors, there are two things that we can use.

1.  TaskValidationEyeVerification is a check to make sure that the data is entered without errors – for example two people might be required to key in the same data from a questionnaire, or you get asked to type in a new password twice.

2.  EyeVerificationValidationTask is a check to make sure that the data entered is plausible – there shouldn’t be any letters in a mobile phone number, which should begin with 07 and should be eleven digits long.