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MANUAL DATA ENTRY
Although the goal is to create information collection forms that have NO free-form,
write-in information areas, those areas always seem to be needed. We consequently
receive forms that, after they are scanned for the structured data, must then
be reviewed individually to collect the free-form comments. Those comments
are compiled, organized in some manner (such as by time, session, or speaker) and
then edited as finished Word documents. They are then usually also put into
Adobe PDF format for distribution or publishing on the Web.
In addition to collecting non-scannable information from scannable forms, we occasionally
receive batches of forms that were not designed properly for scanning and that as
a result could not be scanned for the bubbled information. Those forms have
to be reviewed individually and manually to capture the data. The time for
this is highly dependent on the amount of information on the forms. Again,
it is a manual process requiring handling of both sides of each form. This
is the process we try to avoid by going to some type of scanning and testing it
in advance!
Finally, there are two types of forms that we review more carefully for accuracy
after they are scanned, tests and continuing education records. Because certification
and credits are dependent on these, we make sure they have been scanned accurately.
This primarily involves checking scanning errors such as omissions and multiple
marks. Also, sometimes people mark forms and then go back later and cross
through the area. The scanner does not always register an error for such cases,
depending on whether the cross-out marks pass through bubbles.
As a very general rule of thumb, we find that we can manually process about 100
typical forms per hour to retrieve the comments. Use that to estimate the
cost at our Clerical Rate (see Rates).
Careful form design can often eliminate the need (and the space) for write-in comments.
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