Data Gathering

Vision Point Systems provides data gathering and processing solutions for government and enterprise clients

The gathering and subsequent analysis of data can be a time consuming and arduous task.  Traditionally, scientific data gathering has centered around an individual accurately recording data in a laboratory notebook, only using permanent ink, deleting or correcting data with a single line mark, and signing each page.  This process ensured the individual took personal responsibility for the information recorded in each page and that the data was not unintentionally altered.  The data would then be transcribed into raw data tables for analysis or charting.  Once computers were added to this process, the raw data from notebooks would be manually entered into spreadsheets or databases for further analysis and/or presentation. 

The involvement of humans in the process of recording data and transferring that data into a computer has always introduced errors. 

With the wide-spread availability and relative low cost of PDAs, Blackberries, and small form factor tablet PCs, data entry is easier, more efficient and more accurate than ever.  However, the relative low barrier to entry to develop such a device has led to significant failures.  Probably the most infamous failure of such technology has been in electronic voting machines.  Proponents of voting machines suggested that rather than recording thousands of votes with paper ballots to be counted by scanners or (error prone, or worse, biased) humans, why not use a computer for recording the vote directly to the computer and have instant accurate results?  Or so the argument went.  The problem with electronic voting machines and direct computer data gathering is not with the state of technology, but a lack of system design. 

Most electronic voting machines were designed as stand-alone autonomous units with little or no traceable validation of the data it recorded.  Therefore you were able to quickly produce a result with no means of validating that result.  The same issue has plagued the internet in validating users and securing information.