Data input standards and computerization at the University of Hull

An on-line database, containing three- quarters of a million records, was created basically for circulation purposes between 1979 and 1982. In order to maximize data entry speeds, quality control was minimal. This resulted in a high number of errors in the database, which were quantified in a recent survey. The survey showed that over 11 per cent of the records contained serious errors. The popularity of on-line public query facilities indicates a pressing need to tidy up the database, in order that it might become an on-line catalogue of acceptable standard.