Most statistical packages have the option of creating a syntax of commands. SPSS also uses syntax. The advantage of syntax is that you may rerun a series of commands at any stage thus consistently being able to duplicate your process.

Handling inconsistent data
- go back to the source
- data recoded to missing
- examine other information available and judge which piece of information is likely to be correct (not recommended)
- Decide which method and be consistent. Document in writing.
Error rate calculation
Numerator will be the number of mistake in the final file and the denominator will be the (number of records * number of fields) in the new file. Error rate less than 0.3% is considered acceptable.