Interviewers and field supervisors must follow strict guidelines while editing coding forms before submission for data entry. Coding problems are most easily resolved at the field level, before much time has passed since data collection. These guidelines are meant to ensure that all items on the coding form are completed with valid entries and that the data are consistent and accurate.
A general guideline for editing is that all blocks on the front of the coding form contain numbers except for item 14 which may be left blank. This includes leading zeros and "8"'s for not applicable questions. Refused items must be completely coded with "9"'s and responses of "don't know" must be coded with "9"'s with the last digit as "8."
Item-by-item instructions apply to the 1995 intercept questionnaires (Attachment E). Some change in data items should be expected from year-to-year.
Item 1 Record Type "1" is preprinted on the Coding Form, no editing is necessary.
Item 2 Assignment No. All forms from the same assignment should have the same and accurate assignment number. If there is an assignment "2", there must be an assignment "1" for that interviewer on that date.
Item 3 Interviewer Code All forms from the same assignment should have the same and accurate interviewer code.
Item 4 Year/Month/Day All forms from the same assignment should have the same and accurate date.
Item 5 Interview Number All forms from the same assignment should have a unique and sequential interview number, beginning with "01."
Item 6 Hour Hours should be checked against times at site. Check to make sure that 24-hour time is used.
Item 7 State All forms from the same assignment must have the same and accurate State code.
Item 8 County All forms from the same assignment must have the same and accurate county code. County codes must match those on the site register for the State of intercept.
Item 9 Site There can be no more than three site codes used for the same assignment, except when special conditions are in effect. These site codes must be among those on the site register for the State and county of intercept, except when an alternate site was previously unknown and needs to be added to the register.
Item 10 Interview Status Check the completeness of the coding form and verify the interview status. A status of "1" must have all questions answered. A status of "2" must have all key questions answered.
Item 11 Fishing From Which Mode? Intercepts at shore sites must be coded from "1" to "5", while intercepts at boat sites must be coded from "6" to "8". Intercepts at South Atlantic and Gulf boat sites cannot be coded "6" for partyboat.
Item 12 Type of Water Fished In? Ocean, gulf and other open water must be coded with "1". All other water bodies should be "2" to "5", or the letters for designated estuaries. All interviews from one site in the shore mode should be coded the same.
Item 13 Three Mile Limit? Responses other than "1" for Item 132 must be coded with "8" for Item 13. Only responses of "1" to Item 13 can be coded with "1" or "2" for
Item 13. Only boat sites can be coded with "2"; shore sites cannot be coded "2". Interviewers in West Florida must use "3" or "4", instead of "1" or "2", for Item 13.
Item 14 Target Species? The first position of this item must be completed with a valid species code or left blank. If the first position is blank, then the second position must also be blank. If the first position has a species code, then the second position can be blank or have a second species code. All codes must be valid NODC finfish species codes.
Item 15 Gear? The only valid codes are from "1" to "10". Codes "2" to "10" must be verified.
Item 16 Time Fishing? The minimum entry is "00.5" and the maximum entry is "24.0". The number to the right of the decimal must be "0" or "5".
Item 17 Additional Hours? This item should not be more than three times the number of hours entered in Item 16.
Item 18 Days in Past 12 Months? The minimum entry is "000" and the maximum entry is "364" or "365", depending on leap year.
Item 19 Days in Past 2 Months? The minimum entry is "00" and the maximum entry from "59" to "62", depending on the months included. This entry cannot be greater than that for Item 18.
Item 20 Residence? The State and county codes must be checked against the entries handwritten on the coding form.
Item 21 ZIP Code? The ZIP code must be checked against the State and county from Item 20.
Item 22 Type of Residence? This item must be coded "1" or "2".
Item 23 Has Phone? If Item 22 is coded "1", then this item must be coded "1" or "2". If Item 22 is coded "2", then this item must be coded "8".
Item 24 Age? The minimum entry is "05" and the maximum entry is "97".
Item 25 Gender? This item must be coded "1" or "2", not "M" or "F". This can sometimes be checked against the first name entered in Item 26.
Item 26 Name and Phone Provided? This item must be coded "1" or "9". Addresses should not be taken. Area code must be included.
Item 27 Were Fish Caught To Look At? This item must be coded from "1" to "3". If this item is coded "1", the intercept must have at least one Type 3 record. If this item is coded "2" or "3", the intercept cannot have any Type 3 records. If it is coded "3" there must be a Type 4 record.
Item 28 Is Catch Mixed? This item must be coded "1", "2" or "8".
Item 29 Can Separate Catch? This item must be coded "1", "2" or "8".
Item 30 Number Who Caught Fish? The minimum entry is "02". Entries greater than "6" in the shore and private/rental boat modes and "15" in the party\charter boat modes should be verified.
NOTE: There are only five acceptable patterns of coding items 27-30:
Item 27 1 1 1 2 3
Item 28 1 2 2 8 8
Item 29 8 1 2 8 8
Item 30 88 88 02-15 88 88
Item 31 Unavailable Catch (Type 2 Records)? Each Type 2 record must have complete information, including disposition. All species codes must be checked against written names. Unusual species within a subregion/state/mode/area must be verified. All numbers of fish exceeding "100" must be verified. The standard responses for "don't know", "998", or "refused", "999", are not allowed for this item. "Given away" or "filleted" are not valid responses for a disposition coded "7". If the intercept is for a group catch, then look at the forms from all group members to be certain that each person's Type 2 fish are on their own form.
Item 32 Available Catch (Type 3 Records)? Each Type 3 record must have at least a species code and a total number. (Drawing an arrow down for species and number is acceptable.) All species codes must be checked against written names. Unusual species within a subregion/state/mode/area must be verified. Lengths and weights must be checked for reasonableness. Pay particular attention that pounds are not recorded instead of kilograms. Maximum sizes must be within 10 percent of published values or corrections to published values as approved by NMFS. All numbers of fish exceeding "100" should be verified. The standard responses for "don't know", "998", or "refused", "999", are not allowed for this item. "Given away" or "filleted" are not valid responses for a disposition coded "7". Make sure that the number of records for each species does not exceed the total number of fish recorded.
Item 33 Type 4 Record? If this record is used, make sure that the interview number entered in the last position of the Type 4 record matches the interview from the party that has the Type 3 records. The number of forms with Type 4 records referring back to the same interview must not exceed the number entered in Item 37 minus one.
Item 34 Number in Boat Fishing Group? - If the interviewed angler did not fish on a boat then this number must
be "88". Otherwise this number must be at least "1".
Item 35 First Boat Group Member Interviewed? - This item must be coded "8" if the interviewed angler did not fish on a boat or it must be coded either "1" or "2" if he/she fished on a boat. If the number entered for Item 35 is "2", then make sure a Type 6 record has been filled out and the interview number entered in the last position of the Type 6 record matches the interview number of the first member of the boat fishing group who was interviewed.
Item 36 Number of Type 2 Records? This entry must match the number of Type 2 records on the back side of the coding form.
Item 37 Number of Type 3 Records? This entry must match the number of Type 3 records on the back side of the coding form.
Item 38 Number of Type 4 Records? This item must be coded "0" or "1." If this item is coded "0", then the Type 4 record should have no entries. If this item is coded "1", then the coding form should have entries in the Type 4 record.
Item 39 Type 6 Record? - This item must be "0" or "1". If this item is coded "0", then the Type 6 record should have no entries. If this item is coded "1", then the coding form should have entries in the Type 6 record.
Intercept data are stored in a six record hierarchial format with records linked by a unique identifier for each intercept. The identifier includes assignment number, interviewer code, date and interview number. Data included within each record type are:
Type 1 - Identifying information on the fishing site, mode and area. Other information includes angler demographics, fishing effort, and target species.
Type 2 - Unavailable catch by species, i.e., fish thrown back, used for bait, etc. Information includes number caught and disposition.
Type 3 - Available catch by species, i.e., fish seen by interviewers and weighed and measured. Information includes number caught, length, weight and disposition.
Type 4 - Identifier of leading contributor to unseparated mixed group catch.
Type 5 - This record has been used in past years to gather varying data such as socio-economic variables.
Type 6 - Identifier of first interviewed member of a group of anglers who fished together on the same boat.
The format for each record type and variable descriptions for 1994 are included in Attachment L.
Data entry procedures must be designed to achieve a data entry accuracy rate of at least 99.5 percent of all keystrokes. Dual data entry or other error checking data entry techniques should be employed.
Error checking must be accomplished through the use of table lookups during data entry or editing routines on the complete data set after data entry is completed for a wave. All checks described in the field editing guidelines in Section 2.4.1 must be incorporated into machine edits. Every data element must be checked for data entry errors, reasonableness in falling within an acceptable range, and logic in relation to other data elements. Duplicate identification numbers must also be identified and corrected.
Regular feedback from field supervisors to interviewers provides one of the earliest and most important means of quality control. The duties of field supervisors are described fully in Section 2.1.4. Field supervisors should also routinely check the Data Coding forms of their field interviewers for completeness, accuracy, reasonableness of species identifications, and logical weights and lengths.
Field supervisors must also verify that intercepts are collected at assigned sites or that alternate site selection procedures are used properly. Checking daily activity forms completed by interviewers would be one approach to accomplish this.
Meetings with groups of field interviewers (focus groups) to review data collection procedures, site-specific sampling problems, species identification and new recreational fishery developments would be highly desirable. Follow-up species identification training conducted during focus group sessions may be necessary for species of particular concern.
Representatives of the contractor(s), selected Field Supervisors, NMFS MRFSS staff and interested personnel from other Federal and State entities shall meet periodically to review preliminary catch estimates, to discuss field interviewing procedures and cost-effectiveness procedures, to provide continuing education and training of the Field Supervisors and field interviewers, and to enhance cooperation between the MRFSS and other programs.
The RFP specifies the data reports needed by NMFS on a regular basis to effectively monitor the conduct of the intercept survey. Included are such items as completion of quotas, interviewer productivity, and Site Register updates. Timely submission of these performance data is necessary to maintain data collection quality through identification of problem areas and adjustment of procedures as necessary.
Also of critical importance to quality control is regular reporting from field supervisors on activities within their area. Results of all supervisory activities described in Section 2.1.4 must be fully documented. These include initial field observations of newly hired interviewers, follow-up field observations and species identification training, focus group sessions, and State agency sampling coordination.
Interviewers must collect names and telephone numbers of anglers for the purpose of telephone validation. At least 10 percent of each interviewer's intercepts must be validated by telephone. While names and telephone numbers will not be volunteered by all anglers, experience shows that approximately 70 percent of anglers are willing to provide this information. Interviewers with significantly lower response rates to this data item should be closely supervised.
Telephone validation involves the calling of anglers to verify that they were interviewed at a particular fishing site on a particular day. They are also asked whether the interviewer asked to examine their catch. Anglers are then given an opportunity to voice their opinions on how the interviewer conducted himself/herself.
The main purpose of the telephone validation is to independently verify that the interviewer was at work where and when he/she was supposed to be. It also provides project managers with feedback on interviewer conduct in the field.
The number of intercepted anglers with catches of a particular species can be relatively small in certain states, waves, and modes. Given these small sample sizes, unusually large reported numbers of fish caught can result in unrealistic expanded estimates of the catch of this species. In these cases, it is appropriate to conduct analyses to adjust outliers in the data set. Outlier adjustment should never cause changes to the raw data files, but occurs during the estimation procedure. The estimation programs should provide results both with and without outlier adjustment to allow for evaluation.
One method of outlier adjustment involves an examination of frequency distributions of pooled data for catch per angler from the five most recent years (and excluding the current year) for a particular species, state, wave and mode. Any observation in the current data set that is outside of the 95th percentile would be changed to the value of the 95th percentile. Other data elements that should be checked for outliers include hours fishing, number of fishing trips in the previous two months, and number of fishing trips in the previous 12 months.