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Data Capture Methods and Techniques

This document discusses various methods for capturing data, including manual input methods like keyboards and touchscreens, optical methods like barcodes and OCR, voice recognition, and card input using magnetic strips or chips. Each method has advantages and disadvantages related to speed, accuracy, required equipment or training, and types of data that can be captured. Encoding information assigns codes to data to facilitate storage and reprocessing while retaining meaning.

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0% found this document useful (0 votes)
110 views15 pages

Data Capture Methods and Techniques

This document discusses various methods for capturing data, including manual input methods like keyboards and touchscreens, optical methods like barcodes and OCR, voice recognition, and card input using magnetic strips or chips. Each method has advantages and disadvantages related to speed, accuracy, required equipment or training, and types of data that can be captured. Encoding information assigns codes to data to facilitate storage and reprocessing while retaining meaning.

Uploaded by

RavNeet KaUr
Copyright
© All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PPT, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

Data Capture Methods

Data Capture Methods


In this topic, we will be looking at:

Methods of data capture


When it would be appropriate to use each
method
Advantages and disadvantages of each
The concept of encoding
Manual Input
Methods that register movements of the
hand include:
mouse
keyboard
tracker ball
graphics tablet
touch-screen e.g. PDA
Advantages and Disadvantages
there shouldnt be
much of a need for It can be slow to
training, as most enter data
people are already
Transcription (data
familiar with the
entry) errors can
concept
occur
ICT systems can be
Handwriting
similar to manual
recognition can be
ones no need for
unreliable
specialised data
collection sheets
Optical Methods
Methods that read data optically include:
Optical Mark Readers (OMR)
Optical Character Recognition (OCR)
Punched cards, paper tape and
Kimball tags
Barcodes
Advantages and Disadvantages
Large amounts of data Specialist equipment
can be read quickly is needed to prepare
the data for entry
Data can be read
e.g. tags or forms
without human
intervention Only good for a
limited range of data
Easy for staff to use
closed questions
Kimball tags or
barcodes no Medium is often
specialist knowledge paper easily
needed damaged

(not including optical character recognition)


Optical Character Recognition
Text is scanned then converted into real,
editable text
Advantages and Disadvantages

No special data- Recognition is not


preparation equipment 100% accurate
required it just uses Converted documents
text on ordinary will need to be
paper checked
Data is easily read by Dirty or damaged
humans as well as the documents are
computer difficult to read
Voice Recognition
Voice recognition can be used for:
Controlling devices (small vocabulary
systems)
Dictation (large vocabulary systems)
Small vocabulary systems are usually
more reliable and may not need training
Advantages and Disadvantages

No special data-
preparation equipment Recognition is not
required you just 100% accurate
say the data Dictation systems
Data is easily need to be trained
understood by humans Not everything e.g.
as well as the mathematical
computer formulae are easy
Little training is to describe in words
required
Card Input
Cards can contain data on:
Magnetic strips e.g. bank
cards and train tickets
these contain little data and
are easily damaged
Chips (Smart Cards) such
as the new Chip and Pin
credit cards and some
loyalty cards. These contain
more data and are harder to
copy/forge
Magnetic Ink Character
Recognition
The characters are printed in magnetic ink
at the bottom of cheques:

Account details
Advantages and Disadvantages

Data is easily read by


humans as well as the
computer Specialist high-
quality printing
Little training is equipment is
required you just required this
feed the cheques into obviously costs more!
the machine
Its difficult for
forgers to change
details
Encoding Information
Sometimes you might want to turn
information into data i.e. to store it
this is called encoding
Your data capture methods will form
part of the encoding process how are
you going to collect the information?
How do you code information to make it
easy to re-process, without losing its
meaning?
Encoding Example
Often surveys have questions like this:
A level ICT is brilliant!
Disagree strongly
Disagree
Neither agree nor disagree
Agree
Agree strongly

How would you collect the responses?


Would that be the most reliable
method?

Common questions

Powered by AI

Voice recognition systems excel in interpreting spoken words for command and dictation tasks but struggle with non-verbal information like mathematical formulae. This limitation restricts their applicability in domains requiring precise, non-verbal data entry, highlighting the need for alternate or complementary data entry solutions .

Encoding transforms information into data suitable for storage and retrieval, forming a crucial part of the data capture process. Proper encoding ensures that information is easily reprocessed without losing its meaning, requiring thoughtful selection of coding systems to facilitate accurate and efficient data use .

OCR involves scanning text and converting it into editable text. While it doesn't require special data preparation equipment and allows data to be easily read by both humans and computers, recognition is not 100% accurate and documents may need to be checked for errors. Additionally, dirty or damaged documents pose challenges for accurate data reading .

Manual input methods like keyboards and touchscreens are generally easy to use as most users are familiar with them, minimizing the need for specialized training. However, they can be slow for data entry and are prone to transcription errors and unreliable handwriting recognition, which can affect data accuracy .

Small vocabulary voice recognition systems are typically more reliable and may not require training due to the limited set of commands. In contrast, large vocabulary systems used for dictation are less reliable and need to be trained to recognize different words accurately, which can pose a challenge for effective data capture .

Magnetic strips contain little data and are easily damaged, making them susceptible to wear and potentially less secure. In contrast, chips on smart cards can store more data securely and are harder to copy or forge, offering better data protection and durability compared to magnetic strips .

Optical data reading methods, such as barcodes and OMR, streamline large data set processing without human intervention, beneficial for efficiency. However, they require specialized data preparation tools, like tags and forms, and are often confined to specific data types, necessitating proper setup and maintenance .

OMR simplifies data entry by enabling the fast reading of large data sets without human intervention, which prevents transcription errors. However, it is limited to certain data types, typically those involving predefined options, and relies on the physical condition of the paper medium, which can be easily damaged .

Barcodes allow large amounts of data to be read quickly and without human intervention, which is advantageous for efficiency in operational settings. However, specialized equipment is necessary to prepare data for entry, limiting the range of data that can be effectively captured, as it's typically confined to closed-ended data forms .

MICR allows easy data reading and requires little training, besides using recognizable characters on cheques, making it resistant to forgery. However, the reliance on specialist high-quality printing equipment raises costs and implies potential vulnerabilities if the equipment produces errors or is compromised, impacting data security .

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