| Session Title: Cleaning Data: It's a Dirty Process, but Someone's Gotta do it - Tips and Tricks to Making Data Management More Manageable |
| Demonstration Session 296 to be held in Santa Monica on Thursday, Nov 3, 10:45 AM to 11:30 AM |
| Sponsored by the Quantitative Methods: Theory and Design TIG |
| Presenter(s): |
| Simone Erchov, George Mason University, sfranz1@gmu.edu |
| Caroline Wiley, University of Arizona, crhummel@email.arizona.edu |
| Julius Najab, George Mason University, jnajab@gmu.edu |
| Abstract: Evaluators frequently face diverse data management challenges - from acquisition to validation, cleaning, and analysis. Evaluation results are undoubtedly influenced by the data; well-managed data can therefore improve analyses and the interpretation of results. Data cleaning can be an undesirable and laborious task and so to ease the "pain" we will cover important conceptual considerations and practical, dependable techniques for managing both quantitative and qualitative data with more relative ease. Using two common software packages (Excel and SPSS), we will introduce time-saving techniques that ensure data integrity, accuracy, and quality (i.e. methods for data checking and cleaning, preparation for analyses, transformations, and overall data control). We aim to increase comfort and knowledge with this process by providing novice evaluators with basic data management principles allowing flexibility in navigating multiple programs that will optimize data performance and ensure quality of their results. |