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Survey Technology

Survey Technology. Data Collection Tools Available in the Market. 1. Paper Survey 2. Smart Paper 3. Cell Phones 4. Personal Digital Assistants - PDAs 5. Mini Laptops. 1. Paper Survey - Advantages. Easy to put concept into work. Knowledge of specialized software not required.

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Survey Technology

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  1. Survey Technology

  2. Data Collection Tools Available in the Market 1. Paper Survey 2. Smart Paper 3. Cell Phones 4. Personal Digital Assistants - PDAs 5. Mini Laptops

  3. 1. Paper Survey - Advantages • Easy to put concept into work. • Knowledge of specialized software not required. • Survey can be in vernacular for low additional cost. • The survey can be printed and sent out to the field as soon as the questionnaire format is finalized.

  4. Disadvantages • The data has to be digitized post-survey for analysis. • This means a data entry software that ensures that each field is logically consistent has to be designed. This requires a specialist – software designer. • During data collection, surveyors can enter meaningless values into fields. • The survey data has to be manually entered into computers implying delay between data collection and analysis. • Huge waste of paper and space.

  5. 2. Smart Paper • “Clever” document reading software available in the market (eg formic fusion) • The initial design phase is same as paper surveys. • The survey is created in a special software instead of a generic text editor. • The software is like “PAINT”, intuitive for designing surveys with drag and drop features

  6. Advantages • Using a scanner, the survey can be directly scanned into a database. • As the scan is happening the software checks for logical consistencies. • Software can read information from PDF files as well. So as data entry is happening, the survey gets digitized in two separate ways.

  7. Disadvantages • High upfront costs. • The paper wastage problem still not solved.

  8. 3. Mobile Phones • Uniphore (India) and several other companies have developed mobile based surveys for 10 languages. • Researcher provides survey paper copy and variable list to company. • Company modifies voice-recognition software accordingly. • Surveyor calls in a number to contact a central server.

  9. Advantages • Does not require a fancy mobile. • Data directly stored into database • The mobile software performs online logical analysis of responses.

  10. Issues • Requires good mobile connectivity. • Accuracy from voice to digital still at the 90 – 95% level • Number of technology providers small. So costs are still high.

  11. 4. Personal Digital Assistants/Smart Phones

  12. Advantages • Survey software available for PDAs (eg Pendragon) • Smart enough to do logical checks locally (does not require mobile connectivity). • Data is available for use “immediately”. • PDAs are becoming cheap, and over the long run save money over paper surveys.

  13. Disadvantages of PDAs • Upfront costs • Vernacular software very expensive • Needs a software-specialist to implement surveys

  14. 5. Mini Laptops

  15. Conclusions • Electronic equipment for surveys getting cheaper, easier to use and more reliable. • Software becoming more user friendly, inexpensive and easily available • Large-sample paper surveys will be a a thing of the past soon (we hope)

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