1.8 Data-checking and quality control
Rigorous control of the quality of data is an essential requirement for any research
project. This does not only mean collecting relevant, independent, representative
data in the field or laboratory for appropriate tests of hypotheses of interest.
Very careful translation of the data into the format necessary for analysis is also
essential. Nowadays, most data are stored in databases or electronic spreadsheets.
It is essential that as much quality control goes into checking that the data in the
spreadsheet match those collected in the laboratory or field, as went into collecting
the data in the first place. One infallible but time-consuming way to ensure that the
data match is to make sure that, after each set of data is entered into the computer,
it is also checked by two people, at least one of whom was not involved in the
collection of the data. This helps to eliminate many errors that may arise from