Back to news
30 Jul 2015 | News

Using tablets for real-time data collection

2 mins Read

70% Complete

Socio-economic data collection through household surveys need huge investment in time, human resource, and cost. When one of these is compromised, the quality of data suffers. When data is collected using paper-based formats, errors happen despite clear instructions in the questionnaire. A considerable amount of time is also lost in transferring data from hard to soft version and in finalizing the dataset.

In view of these issues, the ‘Rural Livelihoods and Climate Change Adaptation in the Himalayas (Himalica) Initiative’ has started data collection using Android-based tablets. The use of tablets will have following advantages over paper-based data collection:

  1. Enhanced interview experience: The most important benefit of using tablets for data collection is that the survey software will guide the interview process, and improve the interview experience, primarily because it will be easier to administer the questionnaire and ensure data quality. Also, the interviewer can see only one question on the screen at one time, which helps in increasing the readability. In addition, the interviewer need not remember any code or instruction as everything is displayed on the screen.
  2. Real-time data: The use of tablet provides access to real-time data along with GPS coordinates of interviewers. One can monitor the quality of data collected by each interviewer and communicate immediately to the team on any change or mistake. Moreover, delays incurred in the transfer of data from hard to soft version by data entry will be reduced. Currently, the data from field is getting synchronized to a Dropbox server. However, we are trying to see if the data can be synchronized to a FTP server for enhanced security.
  3. Quality control: Use of tablets ensure more control over the data quality by automatic skip-pattern and validation of the response, minimizing data-entry errors. Due to built-in skips and validation rules, interviewer can immediately rectify the errors in the field and reduce the time lost in correction.
  4. Greener solution: A significant amount of money is spent on printing and transportation of questionnaires. Use of tablet can reduce that to a great extent. Moreover, replacing paper questionnaires with electronic data collection is a greener solution and doesn’t require physical storage space.

Himalica has procured 25 tablets and are currently being used to collect data for on-farm monitoring survey for the action research on ‘Agricultural Extension Services in Nepal: Using Social Networks to Promote New Agricultural Technology’. This is the second round of survey and aims to collect data from 1,380 households.

In the first round, approximately 2,500 questionnaires were printed and data collection took 20 days which translates into 69 interviews per day. In addition, transfer of data from hard to soft version and finalization took another 70 days. In the ongoing round, the survey will be completed in 15 days (with 92 interviews per day) with the same number of interviewers. Thus, the use to tablets has saved around 100 days. The tablets will also be used for data collection in poverty and vulnerability surveys and other pilot and action research studies.

Stay current

Stay up to date on what’s happening around the HKH with our most recent publications and find out how you can help by subscribing to our mailing list.

Sign Up

Related Contents

Continue exploring this topic

15 May 2015 News
A preliminary assessment of potential lower Pisan landslide dam outburst flood

In the aftermath of the 7.8 Gorkha Earthquake that struck Nepal on 25 April 2015, ...

23 Sep 2015 News
ICIMOD introduces solar irrigation systems in Saptari District, Nepal

A woman farmer, a water seller, a large farmer, and a farmer’s association became the first farmers in Saptari to ...

5 Aug 2016 News
SERVIR Workshop Helps Finalise M&E Framework

  A regional workshop on ‘SERVIR Hindu Kush Himalaya (HKH) impact pathway, partnership and communication strategy’ was held 11-15 July 2016 ...

14 Jun 2016 News
Mountain Research and Development, Vol 36, No 2, available Online and Open Access

In this Focus Issue, several papers address modernization and sustainable development, showing that development in mountains can take up positive ...

27 Jul 2016 News
Centre for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency in the Hindu Kush Himalayan Region Under Development

A consultative preparatory process for a Himalayan Centre for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (HCREEE) was launched on 27 July ...

1 Sep 2016 KSL
KSLCDI Partners Come Together to Evaluate Activities at Annual Review and Planning Workshop

The annual ‘Regional Review and Annual Planning Workshop for the year 2016 and 2017’ on Kailash Sacred Landscape Conservation and ...

National Partners trained on Participatory Ecosystem Based Planning and Management

ICIMOD, in collaboration with the Wildlife Conservation Division (WCD) of Department of Forest and Park Services (DoFPS), Bhutan, organised a seven-day ...

4 Feb 2016 News
No Entitlement: Living on Borrowed Flood Lands

When our HIAWARE research team visited the small Bihari village in early February, we found Chharki’s streets lined with bamboo cottages ...