Page 188 - DMGT209_QUANTITATIVE_TECHNIQUES_II

Unit 9: Attitude Measurement and Scaling Techniques

Editing Notes

The main purpose of editing is to eliminate errors and confusion. Editing involves inspection
and correction of each questionnaire. The main role of editing is to identify commissions,
ambiguities and errors in response.

Editing thus means the activity of inspecting, correcting and modifying the correct data.
This can be done in two stages (a) Field editing (b) Office editing.
(a) Field editing: Objectives of field editing are – To make sure that proper procedure is
followed in selecting the respondent, interview them and record their responses. In field
editing, speed is the main criteria, since editing should be done when the study is still
under progress. The main problems faced in field editing are:
(1) Inappropriate respondents
(2) Incomplete interviews
(3) Improper understanding

(4) Lack of consistency
(5) Legibility
(6) Fictitious interview

Examples:
1. Inappropriate respondents: It is intended to include house owners in the sample for
conducting the survey. If a tenant is interviewed, it would be wrong.
2. Incomplete interview: All questions are to be answered. There should not be any
‘blanks’. Blanks can have different meanings, like (a) No answer (b) Refusal to
answer (c) Question not applicable (d) Interviewer by oversight did not record. The
reason for no answer could be that the respondent really does not know the answers.
Sometimes, the respondent does not answer, may be because of the sensitive or
emotional aspect of the question.
3. Lack of understanding: The interviewer, in a hurry, would have recorded some
abbreviated answer. Later at the end of the day, s(he) cannot figure out what it
meant.
4. Consistency: The earlier part of the questionnaire indicates that there are no children
and in the later part the age of children is mentioned.
5. Legibility: If what is said is not clear, the interviewer must clarify the same on the
spot.

6. Fictitious interview: This amounts to cheating by the interviewer. Here, the
questionnaires are filled without conducting interviews. A surprise check by
superiors is one way to minimise this.
(b) Office editing: Office editing is more thorough than field editing. The job of an office
editor is more difficult than that of the field editor. In case of a mail questionnaire there
are no other methods of cross-verification, except to conduct office audit. Examples as
below illustrate the kind of problems faced by office editors. Problems of consistency,
rapport with respondents, etc., are some of the issues which get highlighted during office
editing.

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