Logo

ICT Quiz - Data Capture 01 (Questions)

This KS3 ICT quiz look at data capture which is all about collecting information, turning it into data and entering it into a computer. Capturing of data can be done in various ways; the best method depends on the type of data that you need to gather and what you want to do with it. In some cases, you might store it in a database. In other cases you would use a spreadsheet or a text file.

Data can be captured manually or automatically. If you were doing an investigation that involved temperature and brightness of light, that would be best carried out automatically. The sensors can be attached to a datalogger and the whole set up can be left for however much time is required. Professional scientists and geographers often use this method of data capture. Information about people would be collected manually, for example, a shop selling household appliances like fridges and washing machines would collect information about their customers manually. Customers would either fill in a form and hand it to the shop assistant or the shop assistant would manually enter the data onto their system as they ask the customer questions.

1. The two methods of data capture are called .......
[ ] manual and automatic
[ ] manual and validated
[ ] paper and paperless
[ ] validated and verified
2. Which of these uses a manual method of data capture?
[ ] Bar-code reader
[ ] Filling in a questionnaire by hand
[ ] Supermarket laser scanner
[ ] Temperature sensor
3. Market researchers use questionnaires to get data .......
[ ] as the data needed might be hard to obtain automatically
[ ] as they can change the questions to suit the person
[ ] because it is more accurate
[ ] because it means they can meet people face to face
4. Questionnaires and data capture forms .......
[ ] always need someone to key-in the results by hand
[ ] are always paper based and have to be stored in boxes
[ ] can sometimes be made machine readable
[ ] have to be filled in completely or are not useful
5. Which uses an automatic method of data capture?
[ ] AutoDC
[ ] DFR
[ ] DocuR
[ ] MICR
6. Which is not a feature of automatic data capture?
[ ] Can be used in locations dangerous for humans
[ ] It is usually faster than manual data capture
[ ] It usually requires constant human supervision
[ ] It usually requires extra hardware
7. Data capture forms .......
[ ] need lots of graphics so people do not get bored
[ ] should ask for as much information as possible
[ ] should have a simple, easy to follow layout
[ ] should use the smallest size fonts to save paper
8. Data capture forms need a lot of thought being put into the design because .......
[ ] they make the information more reliable
[ ] they reduce misunderstandings when being completed
[ ] they make the information more accurate
[ ] All of the above
9. Data capture forms need careful design .......
[ ] to make sure questions provide the required information
[ ] to make sure the right answers are given
[ ] to make the company look professional
[ ] to make the form look cool
10. How can you stop people giving long answers?
[ ] Ask people to give short answers if possible
[ ] Ask simple questions
[ ] Only give a small space for answers
[ ] Use single character boxes for answers e.g. 'y/n'

You can find more about this topic by visiting BBC Bitesize - Data and databases

Logo
ICT Quiz - Data Capture 01 (Answers)
1. The two methods of data capture are called .......
[x] manual and automatic
[ ] manual and validated
[ ] paper and paperless
[ ] validated and verified
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
2. Which of these uses a manual method of data capture?
[ ] Bar-code reader
[x] Filling in a questionnaire by hand
[ ] Supermarket laser scanner
[ ] Temperature sensor
If it involves writing it must be manual
3. Market researchers use questionnaires to get data .......
[x] as the data needed might be hard to obtain automatically
[ ] as they can change the questions to suit the person
[ ] because it is more accurate
[ ] because it means they can meet people face to face
Market research requires data capture from people, so it has to be done manually
4. Questionnaires and data capture forms .......
[ ] always need someone to key-in the results by hand
[ ] are always paper based and have to be stored in boxes
[x] can sometimes be made machine readable
[ ] have to be filled in completely or are not useful
Multi-choice answer sheets for exams are often scanned by optical mark recognition (OMR) hardware and software
5. Which uses an automatic method of data capture?
[ ] AutoDC
[ ] DFR
[ ] DocuR
[x] MICR
A magnetic ink character recognition (MICR) device can read magnetic ink on documents
6. Which is not a feature of automatic data capture?
[ ] Can be used in locations dangerous for humans
[ ] It is usually faster than manual data capture
[x] It usually requires constant human supervision
[ ] It usually requires extra hardware
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
7. Data capture forms .......
[ ] need lots of graphics so people do not get bored
[ ] should ask for as much information as possible
[x] should have a simple, easy to follow layout
[ ] should use the smallest size fonts to save paper
A simple and logical layout is very important
8. Data capture forms need a lot of thought being put into the design because .......
[ ] they make the information more reliable
[ ] they reduce misunderstandings when being completed
[ ] they make the information more accurate
[x] All of the above
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
9. Data capture forms need careful design .......
[x] to make sure questions provide the required information
[ ] to make sure the right answers are given
[ ] to make the company look professional
[ ] to make the form look cool
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
10. How can you stop people giving long answers?
[ ] Ask people to give short answers if possible
[ ] Ask simple questions
[ ] Only give a small space for answers
[x] Use single character boxes for answers e.g. 'y/n'
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