OPTICAL MARK READING

OPTICAL MARK READING
Optical Mark Reading (OMR) is recognised as an efficient and cost
effective data entry method for the large scale processing of category
data.  From its origins in examinations, it is now widely used in other
large-scale exercises.  OMR can relieve much of the effort and difficulty
in keyboard entry and it has already been used in a number of census
projects
An Optical Mark Reader (OMR) reads marks made on purpose designed
forms and transfers the data straight to a computer system.  It is a
technology that is reliable, simple to operate, complementary to other
data capture techniques and easily integrated with other elements of a
computer based solution.
It should be recognised that an Optical Mark Reader can only read marks
and barcodes and not numbers or letters or shapes.  This is both a major
advantage and also disadvantage of Optical Mark Reading.  The
disadvantage is clear but the advantage is that responses are simply
recorded and immediately categorised.  It is here that the use of OMR can
aid the census process of large-scale categorisation of data.  Indeed, the
associated revision of the forms used for data collection into a format
suitable for OMR can also bring its own benefits.
In use an OMR reader simply connects to an existing PC based computer
system.  A typical system configuration would be a number of OMR
reading stations networked to a file server, with the associated printers,
backup and power security.