Experiences in the German Democratic Republic with the use of optical readers in pre-census tests

Abstract

The tests for the census of population, occupations, housing and buildings of the GDR started five years before census date. All organizational and methodological issues and the choice of a new technological procedure of data-carrier making were tested. The test censuses were supposed to show possibilities for a considerable reduction in processing time as compared with the 1971 census of population. A reduction in costs was also to be reached.

The use of optical readers allowed to achieve this goal, while maintaining the approved principle of self-enumeration. Above all, it was necessary to develop and to test census questionnaires. As a whole, five trial censuses and largescale tests were conducted with the population under the guidance of the central census bureau of the GDR State Central Statistical Office. A total of 20 variants of documents were developed and tested. At the same time, it was necessary to define criteria for the coding of questionnaires and to fix normative values for the planning process. The tests were closely connected with those of the entire package of computer programs for checking completeness and with those of verification and logical checks.