Raw data, as they are received from the field in primary data collection, are in no condition for interpretation. Such data constitute bits of information recorded on many individual forms, and substantial work must be done on them. Therefore, the bits of raw data must be transformed into information that will answer the researcher’s study objectives. The decisions made about these preparatory steps are based on the assumptions involving general logic about the interpretative process and about the supposed nature of the data relative to the appropriate analysis.
The transformation of raw data into useful information requires that the data be validated, edited, coded, and key-punched so that it may be transferred to a computer or any other data storage device. If the amount of data gathered is large, then, there are many advantages in utilizing a computer for data processing.
Marketing researchers need to know about computer systems to communicate with computer technicians so that the data requirements can be filled correctly and efficiently. Everyone in administrative positions, in any type of Organization, and everyone doing any sort of research should have this knowledge, since computers have become a universal tool of management.
