For casualty data to be trustworthy and usable, casualty recorders must strive to collect it in a consistent way.
Defining a clear scope from the beginning is important -choosing carefully the sources that will be used and the method according to which incidents or individual deaths will be confirmed or not, devising standard operational procedures to guide practice and providing training to all involved in these processes. Standardising operations is very important to increase the accuracy of the data returned through the consistent application of a process. All casualty recorders devise standard operational procedures to be shared internally which can all be put within a codebook – which is also a suitable document to share more publicly as an explanation of one’s methodology. Such practice does not preclude the evolution or change of a methodology – which should always be indicated – so long as processes continue being implemented consistently.
Standards for Casualty Recording, 2016, pp. 19-20
