Management Information System (MIS) Practice Exam

What scanning technology is utilized to digitize handwritten or printed characters, like those on sales tags?

1. Magnetic ink character recognition

2. Optical character recognition

3. Biometric scanning

4. Optical mark recognition

The correct answer is: Optical character recognition

Optical character recognition (OCR) is the technology used to digitize handwritten or printed characters. It works by analyzing the shapes of characters in scanned images of documents and converting those shapes into digital text that can be edited or searched. This process involves sophisticated algorithms that recognize both the layout of the text and the individual characters within the document. This technology is especially valuable for applications such as digitizing sales tags, where printed characters need to be efficiently converted into a format usable for data entry, inventory management, or online processing. OCR can recognize various fonts and handwriting styles, making it suitable for a wide range of documents and forms. In contrast, the other options focus on different types of data capture. For instance, magnetic ink character recognition (MICR) is specific to reading characters printed with magnetic ink, primarily used in checks. Biometric scanning involves identifying unique human characteristics, such as fingerprints or facial recognition, rather than interpreting printed text. Optical mark recognition (OMR) is utilized to detect marks made on paper, such as checkboxes on surveys or exams, and is not intended for interpreting characters. Therefore, the correct choice is indeed OCR for its specific capability to process and digitize text.