Coding help

HIF:
The HIF requires information to be entered for all residents, based on the number specified (question 4). If information has not been entered consistently throughout the form, see 'Blank & inconsistent responses' below for additional instruction.

PTD:

The most common respondent error in completing a PTD is not to include all trips to and from the property, e.g. the respondent records two trips from the development but not the return trips. This error cannot be corrected as part of the coding process but may be commented on as part of the preparation of the monitoring report.

When entering a time into the codebook, time should be rounded to the nearest 30 minutes using the 24-hour clock format, e.g. 20:30. Please note: Responses are read by the bulk loader as text and as such must be in double quotes.

For the destination, the question asks for either the postcode, address or town of the destination. Residents can also be expected to answer this question with the names of their destinations, such as the name of a school or the name of a shop and the area in which it is located. Wherever possible, the postcode of these destinations should be determined as part of the coding process.

Blank & inconsistent responses

If an answer has been left blank, answers are inconsistent with each other or incorrect, the following approaches should be carried out in the coding process: 

• If information has been left blank on the PTD:
  • The analyst should add information if the answer can be reasonably inferred from other answers, e.g. a trip to a school by someone in full time education would be for education purposes.
  • If the answer cannot be inferred, the remaining information should still be entered.
• If information is inconsistent or incorrect on the PTD:
  • If the source of error or inconsistency is obvious and the correct answer can be inferred, the response should be adjusted by the analyst.
  • If the source of error or inconsistency is obvious and the correct answer cannot be inferred, the inconsistent information should be omitted and the remaining information should still be entered.
  • If the source of the error or inconsistency is not obvious, the trip should be omitted in full.
• If a question has been left blank on the HIF:
  • If the information can be reasonably inferred, the analyst should add the information. E.g. question on number of people living at the property is left blank, but remaining questions are filled out for four people.
  • If the information cannot be reasonable inferred, the analyst should leave the question blank.
• If information is inconsistent or incorrect on the HIF:
  • If the source of error or inconsistency is obvious and the correct answer can be inferred, the analyst should change the response. E.g., development is less than a year old and respondent states they have lived there for 1-2 years.
  • If the source of error or inconsistency is not obvious, all conflicting answers should be left blank for entry into iTRACE.

Inconsistencies between the two survey forms should be dealt with in a similar manner, with reasonably inferable answers added and inconsistent information being excluded to ensure results remain logical.