MAKING IT USEABLE    Editing       Preliminary Edits

The first step in preparation for editing and cleaning data was to extract the survey responses from the CATI data files. In doing this, it was also necessary to import data from problem sheets and supplemental trip files. 

Problem sheets were completed by interviewers to indicate how to correct a problem they encountered during data collection, but were unable to correct because of program limitations or respondent considerations. For example, the interviewer realized that she had entered an incorrect start time for trip number four when she was several trips further into the interview, and judged that the interview would be lost if she asked the respondent to wait while she backed up to that trip and make the correction.  In such cases the changes needed were recorded on a problem sheet, which was entered into the CATI system after the interview by supervisory staff.

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