The Analysis of the Data from a Study Indicates That

The analysis of the data from a study indicates that there was a significant difference between the two groups, which were randomly selected and composed of 100 subjects each. The instruments measuring stress, mood, and various scaled measures of emotion were well normed, widely tested, and suitable. As the researcher begins interpretation of the data, the researcher discovers that during data collection, one of the assistants had recorded the demographic item "household size" incorrectly, understanding the item as "number of people who live with you." The original paper surveys are still available, and the ones this particular assistant collected are all clearly marked with the assistant's initial on each page. How can this data item be "saved"?

A) Erroneous values can be identified and eliminated from the data analysis for this single item.
B) Erroneous values can be located and reentered as the true values, since the systematic error has been identified, quantified, and attributed.
C) Data analysis may proceed and the error noted in the final report as a methodological limitation.
D) An overlapping ordinal measurement can be used, in which the categories are 0-1, 1-2, 2-3, and so forth.e.The data may be analyzed as a nominal variable and so coded.