Section 5 

 THE COMPUTER PROGRAM 



5.1 INTRODUCTION 



The following is a description of programs written to analyze anecdotal data 

 gathered from oil platform workers. Two programs were written, one to analyze 

 data generated by in-person interviews and the other to analyze data gathered 

 from questionnaires left on oil platforms. The questionnaires are to be 

 filled out by workers upon sighting marine mammals. 



The two methods of data gathering were employed for different ends. The in- 

 person interviews were meant to gather "historical" data on marine mammal 

 occurrence and behavior around oil platforms while the sighting cards were to 

 be used as a method of determining present marine mammal distribution and 

 densities and possibly determining the effects, if any, of oil platform opera- 

 tion on marine mammal distribution and density. 



The programs, for both the in-person interview and the sighting card analysis, 

 were written in SAS, the statistical analysis system, version 79.3. The SAS 

 program can be used as a data management system, report writing system, data 

 analysis system and a programming language. For these reasons, it was used in 

 the applications to be described. 



B-19 



