1970 HUNGARIAN CENSUS OF POPULATION Information on the data collection and processing (1977)

I. THE COMPREHENSIVE REWIEV OF THE DATA COLLECTION AND PROCESSING - 8. The electronic data processing of the census of 1970

8. The electronic data processing of the census of 1970 a/ BRIEF CHARACTERIZATION OF THE GENERAL ORGANIZATION AND THE MAIN WORKPHASES OF THE DATA PROCESSING The programme and the preparatory works of the census carried out in 1970 have been fundamentally determined by the fact that the processing of the information obtained could be performed by electronic computers. When taking advantage of the computers, it was stated that each criterion is to be taken into consideration only once, on the most appropriate level. Only the data observed on elementary level could be coded and, instead of the multiple coding - which may be considered an important source of errors - a urliform coding system pointing to the relations existing between several levels of the hierarchy are to be used. For instance, in the case of the dependants, the occupational data of the earner have not been repeatedly shown, but a serial number referring to the earner has been coded. Similarly, the number of the inhabitants has not been coded in the respect of the flat since each person has been coded with the serial number of his flat. Consequently, the respective figure showing the persons living in it has been computed by the machine. After having finished all phases of the control, the computer replaced the necessary data concerning the persons and dwellings. The composition of the notions of the household and the family, as well as the compilation of the data concerning the buildings could be performed by computers, instead of desk machines. The working hours and costs spared up could be partly bestowed upon the preliminary examination, testing and controlling of the data. During the registration, attention was paid to that the hierarchical order of the persons, families, households, dwellings and buildings be ensured. Each level of the hierarchy built up in this manner could also be mutually and unambiguously connected between several files, by means of the computer. (See: Figure 1.) 62