iCADE the data capture system of the U.S. Census Bureau - ARCHIVED

In a multi-divisional initiative within the U. S. Census Bureau, a highly sophisticated and innovative system was developed and implemented for the capturing, tracking, and scanning of respondent data that implements Intelligent Character Recognition (ICR), Optical Character Recognition (OCR), Optical Mark Recognition (OMR), and keying technology with heavy emphasis on error detection and control. The system, known as the integrated Computer Assisted Data Entry (iCADE) System, provides digital imaging of respondent questionnaires which are then processed by a combination of imaging algorithms, sent through Optical Mark Recognition (OMR) to collect check box data, and automatically collect and send only write-in areas to data-keying staff for the data capture process. These capabilities have produced great efficiencies in the data capture process and have led to a novel and efficient approach to post-collection activities.