Yes. If you use up to 16 codes per question, nothing changes there (can be 1-9,0 plus &,- or x,y or a,b). But you can also use up to 4 blocks of 16 closed replies, i.e. up to 64 closed responses with one to ten columns per response as long as they fit on a page. Open replies are limited to being assigned two sets of 128 final response codes. If you normally use 2 or 3 digit codes, or the alphabet, you would be better to use our Ascii data entry, validation, recoding and frequency analysis modules and continue working in Ascii, or convert the data file to the more useful binary format (some seconds). If your questionnaire is in WORD, or stored as pure Ascii text in a European language, it can be automatically translated to a normal questionnaire with or without OMR capability, or to a CATI or self-administered CAPI study, or even an e-mail HTML questionnaire - and all at once!

No. You can use any questionnaire and manually enter data in the normal way, (in Ascii or binary formats) but it is cheaper to have one decent optical mark reader at $4000-$6000 (1 to 3 pages/second) than several computers and data entry staff and their overheads. Reducing staff requirements to three or four persons is a very major economic advantage of this system. You also would read most surveys in under one hour with zero errors, other than detectable omissions. Your reports would be printed the same day so you get a very fast turn-around. Field staff becomes the limiting factor in business capability. Without OMR you still get automatic generation of all the data entry, validation and analysis programs from automatic processing of your questionnaire text.

Usually. Quantum and IBM column binary based files are read and written, Dbase DBF and Excel files are directly converted. Most Ascii files need a data map (prepared on or off-screen) to control conversion. Ascii files can be 80 column standard or 8000 byte long formats or fixed-length records of up to 400 byte each and 99 types, with sequence of 3 to 6 positions and record types of 1 or 2 positions. We can always give you a conversion module for your data type.
We also generate Quantum and CI3 source code.

Other than your field force, you need one account executive, whoever prepares your questionnaires, and two more persons (total 3 or 4) for 150 studies per year, two more for each 150 additional studies per year. Some companies can use just one person with market research experience.

It uses the questionnaire to generate everything else and eliminates programming. The Automated Coding System captures text replies and eliminates coding. It is far cheaper overall than any other system, is supposed to be the smartest and fastest, designs and prints master OMR or normal questionnaires in black ink on normal paper with laser or matrix printers, for photocopying and later optional OMR reading (you wouldn't believe how many experts think this is impossible). It generates all the SAP programs, can generate Sawtooth/CI3 CATI and Quantum source programs, and understands most common data formats. It has total running time of about 500 reports/minute; has been developed and used over 30 years and is quarterly updated, and no client has ever changed to another system! The most recent advances were the generating of OMR questionnaires, including logos or pictures, and report documents directly into WORD formats for printer-independence (eliminating drivers) and report interchange. We continue to provide additional facilities and all upgrades and advice are totally free, and no client has ever switched! An interesting point is that any company who has tried it, has wanted to go on using it!

Binary systems store up to 16 multiple replies per word and one or many replies occupy the same space. You do not need a data map because the data is always in the same place, whereas Ascii needs variable length fields and data maps. Binary occupies one eighth the disk space and is accessed eight times faster and processed as 16-bit parallel; this is 128 times faster overall. IBM SAP and Quantum are also binary systems in some respects, but are processed in a different manner. OMR reading is essentially a binary data process and is an excellent system match. Since binary fields are fixed-length, all the data replies can be shown on a screen in a simple way both for data entry and validation.

It is licensed for one to twelve month periods and includes free consulting services and free updates. The main system is $5500 per year per company (not per computer); the unique Automated Coding System for processing text responses in any language (includes CATI and CAPI and Web-based systems) costs $3750 per year. You can try these full systems without a license (limited to the first 50 questionnaires); then get a license for as many months as convenient. We simply E-mail you a 16-letter code for the license term you need. Educational entities get free licenses. Reduced prices where local support is not possible.

Questionnaires for optical reading (a box is an OMR tick space):

• Maximum 99 pages of optical-readable sheets per questionnaire.
• Maximum 88 lines per side of paper.
• Maximum of 64 reply texts in set for one closed question.
• Maximum of 10 columns in multi-column questions.
• Maximum of 256 replies in set for one open question.
• Maximum size of input numerical value 32767.
• Uses any WORD-supported printers.

Data:

• Maximum 7722 questions per questionnaire.
• Maximum 65533 questionnaires (1 Gigabyte worst case).
• Sorting or updating data could require an equal file space on disc.
• In practice, data is rarely above 1 Megabyte and limits have never been reached as far as we know.

Tables:

• Maximum 32 variable width columns, plus optional row totals in tables.
• Maximum 256 cells or sub-totals vertically, plus 3 totals.
• Maximum 6 rows of text of 20 characters each per cell row.
• Maximum 6 percentages per cell row (in text rows).
• Maximum 20 character column-width within 192 characters total.
• Minimum 4 characters in columns; row total is always 8 or 14.
• Maximum totals over 4,000 million.
• Maximum 10 lines of text in table description.
• Maximum 9 lines of text in column headings
• All counts and measures are scaleable

  This is for just one report. Reports can be made to be continuations of each other for unlimited vertical length. Reports can also be summed or windowed on a column basis to achieve desired structures as long as they originate from the same sample.
  

A menu-driven, mainly binary data system with normal manual data entry, OMR or normal questionnaire design, printing and optional OMR reading, and with parallel Ascii data entry, validation and conversion between most commercial formats. Includes factor and correlation analysis and perceptual mapping. Can produce reports in many familiar formats.The IBM Survey Language, and some others are accepted as alternatives as processing instructions. The CATI system produces screen and HTML questionnaires for CATI, CAPI and e-mail surveys, with automatic collection and processing, including coding of text replies in any latin or greek alphabet languages. Over 60 executable modules.