Field data

Field data means different things to different people. For a marketing research firm, field data may refer to information regarding the consumption pattern of soft drink in the Arctic. In this case the sample data would be taken from the people inhabiting the Arctic and the field would refer to Arctic itself. In this case field data can only be collected by physically visiting the field and conducting the survey. Generally field data may not really be so difficult to obtain. Oil and gas exploration involves an extensive amount of field data collection. Field data is important in case of geological and geographical surveys. In case of mobile technology, it may be necessary to collect data about the various radio frequencies especially related to microwave frequencies. The traditional method of collecting field data involves physically taking measurements of data on the field and then later collating and analyzing the data offline. This process is time consuming since, the field engineers have to first collect all the data and then again enter all values and measurements on a computer later. Another disadvantage of such traditional systems is the difficulty in obtaining real time data which may be crucial for certain applications. A good example is the traffic data on a particular road junction. If real time data is obtained, it can help in managing traffic flow further down the road. Historical data in this case may not be useful except for analysis purposes. In most of the cases, dynamic field data can be effectively utilized for control and management. With the advent of Geographical positioning systems (GPS), it has become possible to collect online, real time field data with corresponding location indicator. Weather predictions have to some extent been more predictable than the rain in British Isles, which has no doubt saved some blushes for the English dame. This would be rightly called dynamic field data to the rescue of a distressed damsel.

Article Source: http://www.trafficvillage.com

Steve Rastall

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