Data collection

Every information system begins with collecting data — and the method chosen shapes its accuracy, cost and usefulness.

• Sources: forms and surveys, transactions at point of sale, sensors and loggers, web activity, existing databases.
• Manual capture is flexible but slow and error-prone; automated capture (barcodes, RFID, sensors) is fast and consistent.
• Design good capture instruments: clear questions, constrained choices, validation at entry.
• Legal/ethical collection: consent, stated purpose, only what is needed (POPIA principles).
• Data captured once should be reused — avoid capturing the same data twice.

• Primary vs secondary data — collected by you for the purpose vs obtained from existing sources.
• RFID — radio-frequency identification tags for automatic identification.