Abstract
Data entry and encoding errors can jeopardize the integrity of data sets generated in a variety of research settings. Despite researchers’ pursuits of more accurate entry methods, data entry errors persist. Although techniques exist for identifying such errors, the PowerChecker program described here provides a more efficient method of data set validation. Rather than enter data twice and then manually search for the correct values when there are discrepancies between the two sets, with PowerChecker the user can correct entry errors as the data are entered the second time. In addition, the time-stamped record of changes to the original data set aids in meeting quality assurance requirements of the Good Clinical Practice standards.
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This work was supported in part by DOE Contract 85X-SN602C, EPRI Contract WO8021-12, NIEHS Grant ES07053, and NINR Grant 01675. The author acknowledges Michael Gibertini’s commitment to quality scientific research, which was the inspiration for the development of the PowerChecker. In addition, the author thanks Darrell Butler and an anonymous reviewer for their helpful comments on this article.
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Beaty, J.C. The powerchecker: A visual basic program for ensuring data integrity. Behavior Research Methods, Instruments, & Computers 31, 737–740 (1999). https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03200757
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03200757