Data validation & cleaning

Structured quality controls for cleaner research evidence.

MIU reviews response behaviour, source metadata, open text, survey logic and fieldwork signals to identify and reduce low-quality or suspicious data before analysis.

Validation checks

Multiple signals, reviewed together.

No single rule proves fraud. MIU combines project-specific rules and context to assess data quality.

Duplicates & identity

Respondent IDs, source records, repeated patterns and available device/IP indicators.

Speed & engagement

Completion time, page timing, dropouts, item non-response and low-effort behaviour.

Pattern checks

Straightlining, contradictory answers, improbable combinations and quota consistency.

Open-end quality

Gibberish, copied text, irrelevance, repetition, translation concerns and AI-like similarity signals.

Workflow

Define, review, flag, decide and document.

  1. Agree rulesProject thresholds, exclusions, warnings and client decision rights.
  2. Run checksAutomated and manual review across records and sources.
  3. InvestigateReview suspicious clusters, supplier patterns and open text.
  4. CleanRemove, retain or flag according to agreed criteria.
  5. ReportProvide accepted data and transparent cleaning notes.
Deliverables

Files clients can audit.

  • Flagged dataset with reason codes.
  • Cleaned analysis-ready dataset.
  • Source- or supplier-level quality summary where data is available.
  • Open-end review output and coding notes.
  • Removal and retention counts.
  • Validation methodology and caveats.
Tools

SPSS, R, Excel and AI-assisted review.

Tool selection depends on file structure, sample size, validation rules, reproducibility and client requirements. AI is used to accelerate review, not to make untraceable exclusion decisions.

SPSSRExcelSAS where requiredApproved AI tools
Trust note

We do not promise zero fraud.

MIU applies structured controls to identify and reduce suspicious or low-quality responses. Final confidence depends on recruitment source, respondent verification, questionnaire design, available metadata and agreed rules.

Interactive visual demo

See how raw responses become a cleaner research dataset.

Understand how rules, statistical signals, AI-assisted review and human judgement work together.

Ready for a project-specific estimate?

Open the enquiry form with this service selected, review the prefilled details and click Send enquiry for review.

IDTimeOpen end00108:42Useful answer00201:12Repeated text
Stage 1 of 4

Start with context, not only a file

The questionnaire, source information, fieldwork notes and client rules shape the validation plan.

  • Questionnaire and raw data
  • Supplier and source metadata
  • Agreed thresholds and exclusions
1 / 4
Dataset review

Send the questionnaire, raw file and known quality concerns.

MIU will propose checks, decision rules, outputs and turnaround before work begins.