Here’s our Visual Guide to Digital Data Collection (in the time of COVID19)

Rather than calling off or pushing data collection activities because of the pandemic, you can decide to go digital! During this period, research organizations must embrace technology and be able to utilize the many opportunities on the internet that simplify work. It is true that so many organizations that had data collection as part of their planned activities had to cancel or push the activities until everything thing goes back to normal. But when will this be? At Pollicy, we say you don’t have to cancel or push anything to next year because the world is going digital. On the 12th of May, we had a Whatsapp chat and discussed digital data collection, digital data collection tools, and ensuring data quality during digital data collection.

Here’s a look at what was covered:

So, what is digital data collection?

Digital data collection is the process of collecting data electronically using existing technology such as smartphones, tablets, and other digital devices.

And, why should you opt for digital data collection?

Technological transformation exists so that we can find ways of maximizing our resources and optimizing our operations, and digital data collection provides an efficient method for collecting data in a faster and more accurate manner. The method is a step into the future because it facilitates data collection, entry, and analysis. Its efficiency and accuracy make it ideal for replacing the traditional paper-based method.

Digital data collection also offers; data quality by allowing skip patterns (respondents can skip based on logic), entry limits (restricting respondents to a specific range), specifying compulsory and non-compulsory questions; geotagging to capture respondents locations, and there’s ensured safety since the data can be sent directly to a secure server without risks of papers getting damaged.

What tools can you use for digital data collection?

Traditionally, survey questions were put on paper-based forms which were then sent out to respondents by post or handled directly by enumerators who would visit respondents and fill in the information they obtained. Digital data collection relies on digital forms which are electronic versions of the paper-based forms that can be filled out on electronic devices like smartphones and tablets. These forms are designed using numerous tools/software such as Kobotool Box, ODK, Survey Monkey, Survey Gizmo, Survey CTO, Google forms are many more.

KoboTool Box

Kobotoolbox.org is one of the most common tools with Kobo Collect which is downloadable with various features and can be used with no internet connection during data collection. All collected data can be downloaded in various formats like Excel format, STATA, and SPSS.

Open Data Kit

SurveyCTO

Phone calls

Each tool offers different features, different benefits, and researchers can go ahead and evaluate based on their needs and choose what to use. There are many trade-offs one must consider when choosing the tool/software for data collection.

What can you consider when selecting a digital tool for data collection?

The key to successfully conducting digital data collection lies in selecting your respondents. This is what is called sampling in research studies. In simple terms, sampling can be defined as a principle used to select members of the population to be included in the study. Using digital data collection tools sometimes makes our population of interest large. Below are a few tips on how to sample participants during digital data collection;

Without quality data, your findings cease to be accurate and any decisions based on the findings could be dangerous. The difference between high-quality data and bad data is simple, it is either right or wrong, accurate or inaccurate. So, ensuring data quality during digital data collection is as important as during the traditional data collection method. Here are tips and tricks to help embrace data quality during digital data collection.

Now that you are aware of how digital data collection can revolutionize your research organization, you should also know that digital data collection carries with it its own set of challenges. Below are a few challenges you might face and the considerations you can out in place to tackle them.

Digital data collection if done correctly can yield faster, cheaper, and better data compared to the traditional means of data collection. But the method has a few constraints that still play a role in limiting its widespread adoption. The key to pulling off digital data collection is in selecting the right tool to use. A tool that does not play well with other tools should always be chosen with caution because the research process does not end at data collection, this data has to be transferred to another analysis tool where this data is cleaned and insights are extracted. So always choose a tool that easily connects with other tools for data storage, data analysis, data management, etc, for a smooth research process.

Written by Sandra Nabulega (Junior Researcher) and Arthur Kakande (Communications Lead) at Pollicy.

Here’s our Visual Guide to Digital Data Collection (in the time of COVID19)