MobileActive08
Note by Yael Schwartzman:
Mobile data collection workshop
Goal: discuss common challenges in mobile data collection using 4 case scenarios to create a document that informs future data collection projects.
NOTE: Please help me expand on any of the topics discussed below. THANKS!!!
Challenges:
- Getting people to adopt the system (switch from standard paper-based practices to mobile data collection)
- The client needs to be prepared for the system. Namely, there might be some organizational work that needs to be done before the mobile system can be used. Getting a client that already has a top-notch organization helps the developer focus on real opportunities where mobile systems can make a difference.
- Connectivity/Transmitting information: direct upload via USB cables, transmitting info through flash drives and/or burning info onto CDs and sending them over the mail might be a good way of circumventing SMS/GPRS connectivity costs and errors.
- Multimedia: save before you go into multimedia. High use of multimedia on older phones may make the application slow-down or freeze
- Integrity: To avoid loosing data you can have a mechanism that compares versions of data transmitted via SMS at each step of the transmission process (from survey collector – to supervisor – to server)
- Scaling up: Where do you save the data? If multiple organizations are going to share information with a larger organization (for example coffee cooperatives with Fair Trade/Traceability organization). Do you create a standard and each cooperatives maintains their data or do you upload all this data to the larger org.?
- Using young people: usually young people get mobile systems faster so it’s good to either employ them as data collectors or use them as a medium for training other not-so-young people
- Battery life: Battery life is an issue. We need to find alternative ways of battery charging and find a way to profile mobile phone applications for their battery performance.
- Training: Training people one-on-one and allow them to train others seems to be a great training technique. Think about ways in which your application for training might have to differ from the original application.
- Monitoring: in different platforms
- Reporting: you need technical expertise /text processing incoming messages
- Sensible reliable data: in case of election monitoring. Outsourcing might not be the best option. How would you crowd sourcing information. You need to get to the handset of the person.
- Templates for training: codes already built in. RapidSMS
- Management, sustainability and scaling: Communication between CHW and other CHW and their supervisor. Insentivising communications with awards
- How do you manage the scale of data collection of people you don’t see at all (random people of the street)
- McDonalds: figure out how to be repeatable. Document procedures. Mind the budget to include documentation
- How do you use data collection tool beyond research setting.
- Controled setting: you can install software on device.
- When you don’t control the hardware equipment? Challenge in utilizing technology foe more complex forms
- SMS: good and bad:
- Duplication of efforts: open source and commercially.
- Server side/back end – not a lot of standarization
- We tend to skip urban settings and go straight to rural
- Find a good technology but you don’t see how it’s really applied.
- Data flow-up / why can’t u utilize the data
- Integration with existing IS.
- Standards that all phone manufacturers have that supports forms on phone.
- Collaboration between commercial and non-commercial
Goal: discuss common challenges in mobile data collection using 4 case scenarios to create a document that informs future data collection projects.
NOTE: Please help me expand on any of the topics discussed below. THANKS!!!
Challenges:
- Getting people to adopt the system (switch from standard paper-based practices to mobile data collection)
- The client needs to be prepared for the system. Namely, there might be some organizational work that needs to be done before the mobile system can be used. Getting a client that already has a top-notch organization helps the developer focus on real opportunities where mobile systems can make a difference.
- Connectivity/Transmitting information: direct upload via USB cables, transmitting info through flash drives and/or burning info onto CDs and sending them over the mail might be a good way of circumventing SMS/GPRS connectivity costs and errors.
- Multimedia: save before you go into multimedia. High use of multimedia on older phones may make the application slow-down or freeze
- Integrity: To avoid loosing data you can have a mechanism that compares versions of data transmitted via SMS at each step of the transmission process (from survey collector – to supervisor – to server)
- Scaling up: Where do you save the data? If multiple organizations are going to share information with a larger organization (for example coffee cooperatives with Fair Trade/Traceability organization). Do you create a standard and each cooperatives maintains their data or do you upload all this data to the larger org.?
- Using young people: usually young people get mobile systems faster so it’s good to either employ them as data collectors or use them as a medium for training other not-so-young people
- Battery life: Battery life is an issue. We need to find alternative ways of battery charging and find a way to profile mobile phone applications for their battery performance.
- Training: Training people one-on-one and allow them to train others seems to be a great training technique. Think about ways in which your application for training might have to differ from the original application.
- Monitoring: in different platforms
- Reporting: you need technical expertise /text processing incoming messages
- Sensible reliable data: in case of election monitoring. Outsourcing might not be the best option. How would you crowd sourcing information. You need to get to the handset of the person.
- Templates for training: codes already built in. RapidSMS
- Management, sustainability and scaling: Communication between CHW and other CHW and their supervisor. Insentivising communications with awards
- How do you manage the scale of data collection of people you don’t see at all (random people of the street)
- McDonalds: figure out how to be repeatable. Document procedures. Mind the budget to include documentation
- How do you use data collection tool beyond research setting.
- Controled setting: you can install software on device.
- When you don’t control the hardware equipment? Challenge in utilizing technology foe more complex forms
- SMS: good and bad:
- Duplication of efforts: open source and commercially.
- Server side/back end – not a lot of standarization
- We tend to skip urban settings and go straight to rural
- Find a good technology but you don’t see how it’s really applied.
- Data flow-up / why can’t u utilize the data
- Integration with existing IS.
- Standards that all phone manufacturers have that supports forms on phone.
- Collaboration between commercial and non-commercial
