Data validation & techniques - Chapter 3

Validation

• Done by the computer to ensure data is complete and accurate

• A process of collecting data from users

• A method for analyzing data trends

• A technique for storing data securely

Format check

• Data needs to follow pre-determined positions, e.g. postcode, national insurance number

• Data can be in any format as long as it is consistent

• Data should be encrypted for security purposes

• Data must be stored in a cloud-based system

Presence check

• Ensure an answer is present; cannot be left blank

• Allow answers to be left blank

• Check for spelling errors in the answer

• Verify the answer against a database

Length check

• Data needs to be correct length, e.g. 11 digits for phone number

• Data can be of any length

• Data should be at least 5 digits

• Data must be exactly 10 digits

Type check

• Ensures data is of the right type, e.g. numeric, text, etc

• Validates the length of the data

• Checks for duplicate entries in the dataset

• Formats the data into a specific structure

Range check

• Accept data between 1-5

• Accept data between 5-10

• Accept data between 10-15

• Accept data between 20-25