permits answers within a specified range; for example, if a question has three possible
answer choices (e.g., "Provides," "Does not provide," "Not sure"), the CATI system
will only accept coded responses corresponding to these choices. All data is tabulat-
ed, checked for internal consistency and processed by computer. A series of comput-
er-generated tables is then produced for each sample group showing the results of
each survey question, both by the total number of respondents and by important sub-
groups.
The data processing staff performs machine edits and additional cleaning for the
entire data set. Harris's edit programs act as a verification of the skip instructions and
other data checks that are written into the CATI program. The edit programs list any
errors by case number, question number and type. These were then resolved by sen-
ior EDP personnel, who inspected the original file and made appropriate corrections.
Complete records were kept of all such procedures.
Online Interviewing Procedures (Teachers and Parents)
Interviews were conducted using a self-administered, online questionnaire, via
Harris' proprietary, web-assisted interviewing software. The Harris Online inter-
viewing system permits online data entry of interviews by the respondents.
Questionnaires are programmed into the system with the following checks:
1. Question and response series
2. Skip patterns
3. Question rotation
4. Range checks
5. Mathematical checks
6. Consistency checks
7. Special edit procedures
For questions with pre-coded responses, the system only permits answers with-
in a specified range; for example, if a question has three possible answer choices (e.g.,
"Agree", "Disagree", "Not sure"), the system will only accept coded responses corre-
sponding to these choices. All data is tabulated, checked for internal consistency and
processed by computer. A series of computer-generated tables is then produced for
each sample group showing the results of each survey question, both by the total
number of respondents and by important subgroups.
To maintain the reliability and integrity in the sample, the following procedures
are used:
1. Password protection: Each invitation contains a password that is uniquely
assigned to that e-mail address. A respondent is required to enter the pass-
word at the beginning of the survey to gain access into the survey. Password
protection ensures that a respondent completes the survey only one time.
2. Reminder invitations: To increase the number of respondents in the survey
and to improve overall response rates, up to two additional reminder invita-
tions are typically mailed at 2-4 day intervals to those respondents who have
not yet participated in the survey.
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