Paper forms and online forms

Paper forms for collecting data are given to people so that they can fill them in and return them.

Leisure centres would use a paper form so that it can be given to a new member to complete while the receptionist carried on with other tasks.

Paper forms that are filled in, for example at a leisure centre, can be used to collect data, such as the names of new members.

Using paper forms to collect information from people can be costly because of the cost of:

• The paper and printing
• The time taken by the person asking the questions
• The time of the person transcribing the data from the paper form onto the computer system
• The time taken to check that the data has been entered accurately

The data written on the paper forms may :

• Be hard to read if the handwriting it not clear
• Be incomplete, or may be wrong if the user does not answer truthfully.

Online forms can be used to collect data such as the names and addresses of prospective customers for supermarket online shopping.

Online data capture forms are always clear to read as the answeres are typed or coded in boxes.

Rules can be set up to make sure all the data is entered but there is nothing an online form can do to make sure a user answers truthfully.