Disadvantages of data acquisition: our experience Oral presentation

Dejan uri, mathematician, Prof. Dr Nada emerli Ai, Prof. Dr Katica Pavlovi, Prof. Dr. Bogoljub Mihajlovi, Prof. Dr. Ljiljana Markovi Deni, Valerija Sigeti

Introduction: With the increase of interest in the scientific research the need for the statistical data processing also grows. Inexperience of the researchers in the statistical data processing as well as in the work of the statisticians leads to the numerous problems and mistakes that sometimes cannot be corrected. Mistakes often occur during the first phase of the study when the data are being collected. Results: While collecting the data through the questionnaires we came upon various problems. Sometimes questions were not adequately defined or they were ambiguous and not understandable to the examinees. Insufficiently trained interviewers were not able to clarify the questionnaires to the examinees and therefore their answers were often inadequate or incomplete. It all resulted in the inapplicable answers and therefore inapplicable data. During the research process insufficient attention was paid to the data control and the elimination of the typographic and logical mistakes. Bad scoring of the answers and bad management of the lacking data negatively influenced the quality of the research results. The work of data manager was not recognized as a part of the research. Conclusion: Statisticians need to be included when the study is being designed because the mistakes from that period can have huge consequences and can influence negatively to the upcoming study phases of the medical research. The lack of data control, data manager as well as the standards for the use of statistics represent great problem for the work of statisticians in the scientific research.