Mobile data collection has garnered significant attention among survey researchers in the last few years. … Incorporating the devices requires research to determine when and how they can be used with acceptable results (i.e., produce quality data).
At the same time we are conducting this research, new devices are being developed that will likely again change people’s relationship with technology. The discordance between how quickly new technologies are developed and adopted and our ability to test them and develop best practices for data collection leaves us at a disadvantage. Yet, if we make a concerted effort to identify products that are likely to be adopted, consider their utility, and test early we can better position ourselves for the future. [cont.]
Brian Head, RTI International