The HANDSREL Electronic Data Collection Platform

The HANDSREL Electronic Data Collection Platform is a software platform comprises a generic set of tools for designing complex studies, collecting data using a variety of mobile devices (low-cost cell-phones, smart-phones, PDAs, net-books, laptops etc.) and managing the data that is collected. Bio-statistical analysis, GIS, Report Generation and Work-flow Management are additional features that are also available. The software has the following major components:

  • Forms Designer, a web-based application for the design of forms
  • Server for  persistent storage and Server Administration for Settings, Tasks, Work-flows & User Management
  • Mobile Client applications for Data Collection
  • AnalyzeR, a web-based software module for statistical & mathematical analysis of data
  • GIS, a web-based software module for spatial analysis of data
  • Work-flow Management, a web-based software module for the design and implementation of process work-flows

Our Electronic Data Collection Platform is a very flexible as complex forms need to designed only once on a PC and can then be deployed and rendered on a variety of mobile devices, seamlessly. These forms can be deployed on a variety of mobile devices such as low-end cell-phones, smart-phones, tablets, net-books and other devices. A single copy of the form is usable across these devices, even though the look-and-feel of forms is device-specific.

The core forms technology is now being used to develop advanced solutions in m-commerce, m-governance and m-health.

Typical Application Areas

The Electronic Data Collection software can be used in a variety of application scenarios such as:

  • Mobile Applications
    • Market Research
    • Micro Finance and Insurance services
    • Mobile Commerce
    • Mobile Governance
  • Research Studies
    • Sample Surveys for Market Research
    • Sample Surveys for e-Governance Projects
    • Polls
  • Applications in Public Health
    • Demographics Data Collection
    • Longitudinal Cohort Studies
    • Tele-medicine
    • Data Collection in Clinical Trials
    • Service Availability Mapping

Designing and conducting Surveys and Research Studies often involves the design of complex questionnaires, management of the field-force, managing the data collection work-flows, analysis and report generation. While pen-and-paper based surveys are traditionally used, the use of electronic forms on mobile devices offers significant advantages.

Advantages and Benefits of using Electronic Forms

The advantage of moving from the traditional pen-and-paper based surveys to an approach in which electronic forms are used is that electronic surveys can be scaled up to handle a large number of respondents and electronic forms can be rendered on a variety of mobile devices that can fit into the survey budget.

Paper-based data collection and reporting systems are generally inflexible and not easily replicable or scalable across different regions. Mobile technology can play a role in creating a flexible, reliable scalable and replicable framework for collection and analysis of field data in near real-time which would be at the core of a successful market research initiative.

A flexible data collection solution has the potential to scale to include more respondents and cover larger populations, at an incremental increase in cost. The overall objectives of the mobile solution are:

  • Improved data accuracy through validation at the time of entry
  • Reduction in transaction costs for data collection due to reduced errors at the source
  • Reduction in transaction costs due to faster communication
  • Reduction in time taken for field data to reach the headquarters due to instant communication between the mobile device and the server
  • Timely response to data collection, eg., timely medical interventions where necessary
  • Increase in coverage of target population by field-workers in comparison with pen-and-paper solutions
  • Automatic recording of location co-ordinates to provide help in emergency situations and for validating whether a specific worker actually visited the field for data collection
  • Reduction in training time of field-workers due to online information dissemination
  • Two-way messaging for communication between research study personnel and the field-workers
  • Less complex and less burdensome solution for the field-worker in comparison with traditional pen-and-paper based solutions