Recodificar

Recodificar is a Spanish verb that means to encode again or to change the coding of something. It is used in various fields to describe the act of translating data from one coding scheme to another or reclassifying categories, while aiming to preserve the original meaning as much as possible.

In computing and data processing, recoding refers to transforming data values according to a defined mapping or lookup table. Examples include converting character encodings (for instance, from ASCII to UTF-8), re-encoding a file format, or recoding categorical variables in a dataset for analysis (such as collapsing several categories into a smaller set or replacing codes with more descriptive ones). In databases and ETL processes, recoding is a common step in data cleaning and normalization, implemented through transformation scripts or functions.

In statistics and social sciences, recoding is routine for preparing data for analysis. Researchers may recode responses to fit an analysis plan, create binary indicators from multi-category variables, or recode missing values. Clear documentation of the rules used is important to ensure reproducibility and interpretability of results.

In digital media, recoding can also refer to re-encoding audio or video streams to different codecs, bitrates, or container formats, often to improve compatibility or reduce file size. Considerations include preserving data integrity, avoiding unintended information loss, and handling edge cases where one-to-one mappings do not exist.