Data Processing in Forestry with the Aid of Lector

Lector is an electronic device which scans defined positions on specially printed forms for the presence or absence of pencil marks. It punches onto paper tape the data coded by these marks, using a tape‐code which a computer can read. The designer of Lector forms should ideally be skilled in all the usual techniques of form design and in computer programming, especially in the fields of data processing and error checking. In 1965 alternative available systems were compared and it was decided that the Forestry Commission's Research Division should use Lector to process data. As well as small‐scale tests, 170,000 Census of Woodland forms have since been processed with Lector. From this experience the following main conclusions are drawn. Lector is used most economically for processing long runs of data of uniform layout. Special techniques for form design and printing exist and expert help from the makers of Lector is especially necessary during the early stages of planning Lector's use. Special automatic checking systems are also necessary to trap errors in the system. These errors can spring from several sources and records which attribute errors to causes help to build up experience objectively.