Once the data has been collected, the next step is to analyse it. One of the steps in analysing it is to make sure that the data is authentic and accurate and will produce the kind of results that the researcher is aiming for. There are many steps to ensure this accuracy and one of them is a method called cross tabulation.
When the survey is being planned, researchers should look carefully at the sub-groups they are going to be investigating. They should make plans for the target base that they are going to be comparing and what standards are going to be used for this comparison. This analysis helps them substantially in the long run when during the time of analysis it pays off when the accuracy of the data has to be checked.
Let us take an example of the answers given by teachers, administrators and students regarding a question. Now to verify the authenticity of their answers, it is a good idea to compare what they said and understand if it makes sense or not.
The teachers and the students give a certain answer, and the administrators give a different answer. The researchers could dismiss the data as outright inaccurate or they could look deeper and try and understand the reasons for this difference in data. This exercise would serve two purposes. They would be able to arrive at the conclusion that the data is incorrect, or they could stumble upon some great discovery that would take their research work to new heights.
Cross tabulation of data also helps the researcher discover facts about different sample groups, the relationships that they share, and what they feel about each other. When the time comes for them to put the data in a table, they will also be able to create a format that is innovative and insightful.