errors
will be introduced. The copy will not then be the same as the original. This
is particularly true if the transcription is being done manually as when a
human operator reads a source document and uses a keyboard to transcribe the
data to a computer readable format (key to disc or key to tape systems).
Verification is used to check that data is entered correctly and that there are no transcription errors.
If data has been copied automatically from one format to another then the computer will automatically compare the two versions and inform the user of are any differences.
If a keyboard operator has done the transcription then this type of check is impossible. In this situation the data is re-entered by a different operator with the computer system checking for differences as the second copy is entered. Any differences must be the result of a transcription error by one of the two operators. In this case the transcribed versions can be checked manually against the source document and the error corrected.
You have probably come across another example of verification when setting a new password - you are usually asked to key the password in a second time to ensure that you didn't make a keying error the first time, as it is not echoed on the screen.
The main aim of verification is to trap transcription errors – errors
in transferring the source
data into the computer.
It cannot guarantee accuracy:
- If the original data was incorrect the data will be entered wrongly
- If the data was entered twice, it may have been entered twice incorrectly
- If the data was being manually checked, mistakes can creep in.
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