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How Info Line Collects Data
- How We Collect Information
- How We Maintain the Information
- Database Inclusion/Exclusion Criteria
- Style Rules
- Indexing an Agency Information
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How We Collect Information
2-1-1 makes a serious commitment to maintaining an accurate database. Our most dynamic resource for information is our callers themselves. Since our own call specialists are accessing the data every single day and giving information to thousands of callers, we often hear about new information or inaccurate records when changes are fresh. We also subscribe to newsletters and newspapers, looking for new or changed information. 2-1-1’s Director and Data Resource Specialists and I&R Phone Specialists are also community liaisons who attend meetings, serve on community boards and committees, attend community events, and read all local newspapers. All information collected during the course of their day is passed along to the Senior Data Resource Specialist, who then processes the information for the database. We also rely on agencies to let us know when they are getting inappropriate referrals or when they have new programs. We send annual printouts to each agency in our database, showing them the details we have about their services and sites. Agencies can then review their information, and send us back their corrections or verify that their information is still accurate.
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How We Maintain the Information
Our database is updated every day as we learn about changes. Data Resource Specialists continually check resources and contacts to verify changes to ensure that our data is as accurate and up-to-date as possible. We encourage you to contact us immediately if you see any information that you believe is inaccurate in our website www.fcscapitalregion.org
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Database Inclusion/Exclusion Criteria
Inclusion and exclusion criteria have been developed and approved by the governance of the NERC. The criteria include not-for-profit health and human services providers and for profit providers of services. The inclusion and exclusion criteria will be reviewed on a yearly basis by NERC and will be updated as needed. The criteria serve to guide and focus the data development process that can help to prioritize, through sequential order, which non-profit health and human service organizations will be entered into the database.
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Style Rules
We enter agency information according to internal style rules. In general agency descriptions must state the agency type, and provide a general description of services and programs. We do not use agency mission statements or evaluative adjectives such as "comprehensive," "successful," etc. Another style rule is to abbreviate "Family and Children's Service of the Capital Region" with "FCSCR., " unless the agency's legal name uses CT. We also do not use "Inc." after an agency's name, unless the "Inc." is a real part of the name and not just showing that the agency is incorporated. We have many other style rules that establish standards for when we must use complete sentences in descriptions; how to write addresses, hours, and administrator titles; when we add sites to agencies; when we add programs.
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