ABSTRACT
The process of assigning numerical values to our observations is termed coding. Coding is to the research process what the alphabet is to speech: a mechanism for making a precise and lasting record of information. The mechanics of encoding data are really quite simple. A codebook is simply a listing of each variable to be employed in a study, of each value the variable might take on, and of the numerical scores— the codes— associated with each of these values. The codebook summarizes the indicators to be used in the study and their associated values. It is essentially a formal statement of the operational definitions with which any piece of research begins. A coding sheet is a data-recording device whose structure is based on the codebook and whose form will aid in data entry and analysis. The emphasis in the coding of interval/ratio data is generally less on creating meaningful codes than on recognizing and preserving them.
