enumerators

Enumerators are individuals who perform enumeration, the process of counting, listing, or surveying items, people, or events within a defined domain. In field work, enumerators collect data by visiting respondents, recording answers, and ensuring coverage and data quality. They typically work for government agencies, research organizations, or market researchers and follow standardized protocols, handle sensitive information, and use digital data collection tools. Training covers sampling methods, questionnaire administration, consent, and safety.

In statistics and surveys, enumerators play a critical role in data collection, aiming to maximize response rates and accuracy. They may conduct door-to-door interviews, telephone surveys, or online assisted interviews, and they must manage geographic coverage, sampling frames, and respondent well-being. Ethical considerations include informed consent, privacy, and minimizing respondent burden.

In computing, the term enumerator has multiple meanings. An enumerator can refer to a value in an enumerated type, or enum, which defines a finite set of named constants such as Red, Green, and Blue within a Color type. It can also denote an object or interface that iterates over a collection, providing sequential access to elements. Some languages distinguish between an enumerated type and the enumerator/iterator that traverses a data structure; others use related terminology. For example, Java provides the Enumeration (older) and Iterator interfaces, while C# uses IEnumerator to traverse sequences.

Etymology stems from the Latin enummarare, meaning to count or relate one by one. Across contexts, enumerators contribute to structured data collection and orderly traversal of data structures. See also enumeration, enum (enumerated type), and iterator.