A data entry software program for making spreadsheets.
The first step in choosing the best data entry software is to determine the specific information processing requirements you have for the software. The amount of data you’ll be working with will be the best measure of whether a simple spreadsheet or word processing program will suffice or whether you’ll need database entry software or imaging software. The source of your data will affect your decision, because questionnaires will have different requirements than text searches or cataloging of terms or values.
Most computers come with a spreadsheet creation program.
If the intended use is for limited questionnaires with small sample sizes, a simple spreadsheet program will probably suffice. A survey with 10 or fewer questions submitted by fewer than 200 people can be entered and calculated manually. Most computers have a built-in spreadsheet program that can handle data entry applications of this size. Otherwise, there are free programs available on the Internet that include a spreadsheet or word processing application. A word processing program can be used for transcriptions or light translations.
A person’s choice of data entry software depends on how deeply involved they are in the project.
More complex research or information sources will require database capability in your chosen data entry software package. Again, with fewer than 200 respondents, the information can be entered manually and the database program can sort the information for you. If you are going to get your information from paper forms, you should use imaging software that will digitize and display them so you can enter the responses into the database. If your needs include a text search, you may need optical character recognition (OCR) software in your data entry software.
For more complex surveys or larger sample sizes, there are data entry software suites called statistical programs that can provide and coordinate the different components. These data entry applications are often quite expensive, but since they perform multiple functions and can reduce the amount of human labor required, they can pay off in the long run. They are very complicated and require statistical knowledge and attention to detail in the development of the survey technique.
The choice of data entry software largely depends on how deeply involved you are in the project. For an occasional or one-time instance, you may want to consider outsourcing. If you want to start a service or perform large, complicated, and ongoing data processing tasks, statistical or packet programming might be a better option.