A Level IT

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A Level IT

• Data Capture

IT02 Chapter 15 p78
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Data capture

• Data Raw Facts
• Collected and prepared for entry
• Input
• Data are entered often called
• DATA CAPTURE
• Process
• Information Answer to a question

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Methods of Data capture

• Keyboard
• Voice data entry
• Scanners and OCR
• Key to Disk
• Mouse, Joystick, Light pen, Touch screen.
• MICR
• Magnetic Stripe
• Smart cards
• OMR
• Barcodes
• Handheld input devices

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Keyboard data entry

• The keyboard is the most common input device
• Suitable for a wide range of applications
• entering programs
• documents using a word processor, or
• entering personal details of customers or
  patients at a hospital

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Keyboard data entry

• Data entered at a keyboard is commonly copied
  from a source document, and as such has
  disadvantages
• It is easy to make transcription errors i.e.copy
  the data wrongly from the document
• It is time-consuming
• Data entry operators prone to repetitive strain
  injury (RSI)

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Voice data entry

• The user speaks the text into a microphone
• Special software interprets the text and displays
  it on a screen
• Text may be edited using the keyboard and
  exported to a word processing package such as
  Word.
• The accuracy of the voice recognition system is
  improved by training it to a particular users
  voice

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Scanners and OCR

• An optical scanner can be used to scan graphical
  images and photographs
• Software can then be used to edit or touch up the
  images

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Scanners and OCR

• Scanners can also be used to read typed or even
  hand-written documents
• OCR (Optical Character Recognition) software can
  then be used to interpret the text and export it
  to a word processor or data file
• Scanners are also used to input large volumes of
  data on preprinted forms such as credit card
  payments, where the customers account number and
  amount paid are printed at the bottom of the
  payment slip.

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Key-to-disk systems

• Used in organisations where large amounts of data
  are collected on forms
• then have to be keyed in for later processing (a
  batch processing system)
• an entire computer system consisting of a
  processor, dozens of terminals and central disk
  storage may be dedicated entirely to data entry.

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Key-to-disk systems

• One terminal is nominated as the supervisors
  terminal
• from this screen the supervisor can see exactly
  what every data entry operator is working on and
  how many keystrokes per hour and how many errors
  everyone is making.

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Key-to-disk systems

• Completed batches of data are stored on disk
• they are then either
• downloaded to the main computer over a
  communications link,
• or transferred to magnetic tape which is
  physically removed and taken to the main computer
  room.

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Key-to-disk Systems
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Magnetic Ink Character Recognition (MICR)

• All banks use MICR for processing cheques.
• Along bottom of cheque the banks sort code,
  customer account number and cheque number are
  encoded in special characters in magnetic ink.
• The amount of the cheque is encoded in magnetic
  ink when it is handed in at a bank.
• The cheques processed extremely fast by
  high-speed MICR devices that read, sort and store
  the data on disk.

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MICR

• MICR has several advantages for processing
  cheques
• It is hard to forge the characters
• The characters can be read even if the cheque is
  crumpled, dirty or smudged
• The characters are readable by humans, unlike bar
  codes

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Other data capture methods

• Magnetic stripe
• Smart cards
• Optical Mark Recognition (OMR)

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Other data capture methods

• Bar code reader or scanner
• Hand-held input devices
• Portable keying devices often used by meter
  readers
• Digitiser (Graphics tablet)
• Used as a drawing tool

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Benefits of using bar codes

• Fast-selling items
• automatically reordered to meet demand.
• Slow-selling items can be identified
• preventing build-up of unwanted stock.
• Effects of repositioning a given product within a
  store can be monitored.
• Historical data can be used to predict seasonal
  fluctuations very accurately.

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Other uses of bar codes

• Warehousing
• bar coded containers of raw materials are stored
  in racks of bins which are also bar coded.
• Transport and distribution
• individual packages are bar coded.
• Manufacturing
• work in progress tracked using bar codes.
• Marketing
• bar coded multiple choice questionnaires.

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Other uses of bar codes

• Medical
• bar codes used to identify blood and other
  samples.
• Libraries
• used to record loans and track stock.
• Banking, insurance and local government
• for document control and retrieval.

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Task

• Read the Case study on page 79
• Answer the questions
• Answer the following questions from p83
• 1, 2, 3, 5