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

tice, and that is probably due to the fact that during the control of the coding and prior to the punching, the stocks underwent a painstaking supervision and that the numbers of items have been scrutinized after the punching too. The examination of the punched cards was needful anyway since the basic criteria had to be controlled from the point of view of the "absurd" code numbers, prior to the processing. This operation could be simply performed, in addition to its ability to checking the number of the items, on sorters or electronic tabulating machines UNIVAC 1004. Besides the checking of the completeness, the control numbers also have been recorded, mainly in order to control them also by technical units. The technical unit is a set of items defined by means of the capacity of the magnetic disc taken into consideration, but having generally no regional meaning (for instance, communities and districts. ) A highly important task of this segment is the correction of the serial numbers. By means of correcting the numbers, it can be ensured that persons having erroneous personal or dwelling numbers (on account of erroneous punching for instance) get to their right place again. When mechanically constructing the criteria referring to the family and the household as well as in the copying of the personal or household data belonging to the flat, it would be problematic, if some persons would get connected with strange or even non-existing flats. Moreover, it would be sometimes impossible to ensure that the figure reflecting the members of the families or household be equal with the number of the inhabitants of the respective region. The mechanical correction of the "absurd" code-numbers This segment serves for the control of a great number of coded criteria or - in the case of absurd code-numbers - for their correction. Relations have not been examined this time. The clearing up of the errors originating from absurd code numbers is highly simple, since the tabulation of the codes appearing on the list of code-numbers is satisfactory. "Constant tables" of this kind are, in a simple and quick manner, to be compared with the respective code of the item just under examination. In certain cases, on account of the smaller requirements and simpler solution just the absurd code-numbers became tabulated. The absurd code-numbers generally originate from clerical error or erroneous punching, but sometimes the slipping of whole groups of code-numbers also happens. The correction may take place generally on the basis of simple relations, in some cases with the risk anyway to return, in a later phase, to the correction of the code-number. The starting point, however, was, that the great majority of the code-numbers is good; consequently, when taking a connected criterion into consideration, the correction will be in most cases, acceptable. Accordingly, the program is rather simple and saving space on account of the constant tables. Criteria of smaller significance or showing a closer connection with other criteria were not taken into consideration when dealing with the correction of absurd criteria, since they are in further steps, unambiguously to be eliminated. Of course, the combinations had also to be neglected which would be connected with two or more criteria, since the problem of the combination of the more important criteria is not settled as yet in this segment. That would result, in drawing nearer to the problem from different sides, in contradictory corrections. The code-numbers connecting more criteria with each other, may be controlled and corrected but after the correction of the basis criteria. 69