Location

University of Nevada, Las Vegas

Start Date

16-4-2011 2:00 PM

End Date

16-4-2011 3:30 PM

Description

Data quality is critical to reaching correct research conclusions. Researchers attempt to ensure that they have accurate data by checking the data after it has been entered. Previous research has demonstrated that some methods of data checking are better than others, but not all researchers use the best methods. Perhaps researchers continue to use less optimal data checking methods because they mistakenly believe that they are highly accurate. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between perceived data quality and actual data quality. A total of 29 participants completed this study. Participants checked that letters and numbers had been entered correctly into the computer using one of three randomly assigned data checking methods. Afterwards, they rated the quality of their data checking method. The sample correlations between perceived and actual data quality were small to moderate and confidence intervals for the population correlations did not include high values. We conclude that the relationship between actual and perceived data quality is not high.

Keywords

Data editing; Data integrity; Quality control; Research

Disciplines

Cognition and Perception | Design of Experiments and Sample Surveys | Multivariate Analysis | Quantitative, Qualitative, Comparative, and Historical Methodologies

Language

English


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Apr 16th, 2:00 PM Apr 16th, 3:30 PM

Relationship between perceived and actual quality of data checking

University of Nevada, Las Vegas

Data quality is critical to reaching correct research conclusions. Researchers attempt to ensure that they have accurate data by checking the data after it has been entered. Previous research has demonstrated that some methods of data checking are better than others, but not all researchers use the best methods. Perhaps researchers continue to use less optimal data checking methods because they mistakenly believe that they are highly accurate. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between perceived data quality and actual data quality. A total of 29 participants completed this study. Participants checked that letters and numbers had been entered correctly into the computer using one of three randomly assigned data checking methods. Afterwards, they rated the quality of their data checking method. The sample correlations between perceived and actual data quality were small to moderate and confidence intervals for the population correlations did not include high values. We conclude that the relationship between actual and perceived data quality is not high.