Editing Optical mark recognition (section)

==Usage==
The use of OMR is not limited to schools or [[data collection]] agencies; many businesses and health care agencies use OMR to streamline their data input processes and reduce input error. OMR, OCR, and ICR technologies all provide a means of data collection from paper forms. OMR may also be done using an OMR (discrete read head) scanner or an imaging scanner.<ref>http://datamanagement.scantron.com/pdf/icr-ocr-omr.pdf{{dead link|date=July 2015}}</ref>

===Applications===
[[File:JRA Fukushima OMR betting slip.jpg|thumb|OMR betting form used in [[Japan Racing Association]] [[Fukushima Racecourse]], Japan.]]
[[File:JRA Fukushima QR betting ticket 20110925.jpg|thumb|Betting ticket using this form.]]

There are many other applications for OMR, for examples:
* In the process of [[institutional research]]
* Community surveys
* Consumer surveys
* [[Test (student assessment)|Tests and assessments]]
* Evaluations and feedback
* Data compilation
* Product evaluation
* [[Timesheet|Time sheets]] and inventory counts
* Membership subscription forms
* [[Lottery|Lotteries]] and voting
* Geocoding (e.g. [[postal code]]s)
* [[Mortgage loan]], banking, and insurance applications

===Field types===
OMR has different fields to provide the format the questioner desires. These fields include:

*Multiple, where there are several options but only one is chosen. For example, the form might ask for one of the options ABCDE; 12345; completely disagree, disagree, indifferent, agree, completely agree; or similar.
*Grid: the bubbles or lines are set up in a grid format for the user to fill in a phone number, name, ID number and so on.
*Add, total the answers to a single value
*[[Boolean]], answering yes or no to all that apply
*Binary, answering yes or no to only one
*Dotted lines fields, developed by Smartshoot OMR, allow border dropping like traditional color dropping.{{clarify|date=March 2024|reason=What does "dropping" mean here? What us border color dropping? What does it have to do with types of data represented by the form?}}

===Capabilities/requirements===
In the past and presently, some OMR systems require special paper, special ink and a special input reader (Bergeron, 1998). This restricts the types of questions that can be asked and does not allow for much variability when the form is being input. Progress in OMR now allows users to create and print their own forms and use a scanner (preferably with a document feeder) to read the information.<ref name="Bergeron, 1998">Bergeron, {{who|date=July 2015}}</ref> The user is able to arrange questions in a format that suits their needs while still being able to easily input the data.<ref>LoPresti, 1996 {{Who|date=July 2015}}</ref> OMR systems approach one hundred percent [[Accuracy and precision|accuracy]] and only take 5 [[millisecond]]s on average to recognize marks.<ref name="Bergeron, 1998"/> Users can use squares, circles, ellipses and hexagons for the mark zone. The software can then be set to recognize filled in bubbles, crosses or check marks.

OMR can also be used for personal use. There are all-in-one printers in the market that will print the photos the user selects by filling in the bubbles for size and paper selection on an index sheet that has been printed. Once the sheet has been filled in, the individual places the sheet on the scanner to be scanned and the printer will print the photos according to the marks that were indicated.{{citation needed|date=November 2012}}

===Disadvantages===
There are also some disadvantages and limitations to OMR. If the user wants to gather large amounts of text, then OMR complicates the data collection.<ref>Green, 2000 {{who|date=July 2015}}</ref> There is also the possibility of missing data in the scanning process, and incorrectly or unnumbered pages can lead to their being scanned in the wrong order. Also, unless safeguards are in place, a page could be rescanned, providing duplicate data and skewing the data.<ref name="Bergeron, 1998"/>

As a result of the widespread adoption and ease of use of OMR, [[Standardized test|standardized examinations]] can consist primarily of multiple-choice questions, changing the nature of what is being tested.