Data capture is how computers collect information, from online forms to sensors. In this quiz you will explore methods, devices, and checks that keep data accurate.
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You can find more about this topic by visiting BBC Bitesize - Data and databases
A barcode reader is an example of automatic data capture. Even though it requires a person to use the reader, the data from the barcode is read automatically. The only time it is done manually is if the reader is broken or the barcode is not clear enough for the reader to work
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If it involves writing it must be manual
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Market research requires data capture from people, so it has to be done manually
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Multi-choice answer sheets for exams are often scanned by optical mark recognition (OMR) hardware and software
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A magnetic ink character recognition (MICR) device can read magnetic ink on documents
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The opposite is normally true, automatic data capture involves only the minimum possible human supervision which is why it is so useful. Imagine having to take a temperature reading every minute for 48 hours ... a datalogger with temperature sensor does not sleep or get bored and only requires human intervention at the start and end of the process
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A simple and logical layout is very important
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The person completing it could be confused and enter incorrect data, or enter data in the wrong place. Data from a poorly designed form could be both inaccurate and unreliable
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The important part is to get the information required. If the wrong questions are asked, irrelevant data could be gathered and useful data could be missed
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Responses should be restricted whenever possible so questions need to be carefully designed to lead to a short answer. Giving a small space for answers can work but sometimes people then just write outside the boxes
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