ABSTRACT
This chapter presents manual and computerized methods for data processing—those operations performed on data to prepare the data for analysis. Data processing operations include cleaning, imputation, transformation, coding, standardization, integration and enhancement. Maintaining traceability requires tracking data changes at the data value level. Data cleaning is the process of identifying and resolving discrepant data values. Imputation is the process of systematically replacing missing values with an estimated value. Data standardization in information systems parlance is a process in which data values for a data element are transformed to a consistent representation. Mapping in information systems parlance is the process of associating data values to another set of data values, usually but not always using standard codes. Imputation, standardization, coding, formatting, and calculations are all types of data transformation. Data enhancement is the association of data values with other usually external data values or knowledge.
