Processing Data : The Survey Example

This volume highlights the theory that decisions made during the design of a data collection instrument influence the kind of data and the format of the data that are available for analysis. Opening with a discussion on the selection of the data collection technique(s) and how this impacts on data processing and the data for later analysis, the book covers key issues such as: should you create your own instrument for a questionnaire? how do you test a questionnaire? what are the characteristics of good data processing? how to deal with missing data? how to scale an evaluation and create subfiles for analysis? In addition, each major section concludes with examples and when appropriate, directs the reader to commonly available computer software that can aid in data processing.

"Clear and concise in its recommendations, this book should find its place on lists of required reading for all practical survey design and analysis courses."

--The Statistician

Although data processing is frequently thought to occur only after the data are collected, it actually occurs throughout the phase of study design, implementation, and analysis. Decisions made during the design of data collection instrument influence the kind of data and the format of the data available for analysis. Devoted entirely to data processing, this much needed volume addresses such key issues as: Should you create your own instrument for a questionnaire? How do you test a questionnaire? What are the characteristics of good data processing? How do you deal with missing data? How do you scale an evaluation and create subfiles for analysis? Processing Data begins with a discussion on the selection of the data selection techniques and how this impacts data processing and the data for later analysis. Each major section concludes with examples, and when appropriate, directs the reader to commonly available computer software that can aid in data processing.