QUID, a general automatic coding method - ARCHIVED

The QUID system, which was designed and developed by INSEE (Paris) Institut National de la Statistique et des Études Économiques- National Statistics and Economic Studies Institute, is an automatic coding system for survey data collected in the form of literal headings expressed in the terminology of the respondent. The system hinges on the use of a very wide knowledge base made up of real phrases coded by experts. This study deals primarily with the preliminary automatic standardization processing of the phrases, and then with the algorithm used to organize the phrase base into an optimized tree pattern. A sorting example is provided in the form of an illustration. At present, the processing of additional coding variables used to complement the information contained in the phrases presents certain difficulties, and these will be examined in detail. The QUID 2 project, an updated version of the system, will be discussed briefly.