Digital Data Collection Tablets

Joost van Heerwaarden

N2Africa Research & Data Coordinator

joost.vanheerwaarden@wur.nl

ILRI-N2AfricaAwareness creation on Data Tools and Data Refinement Workshop

18 August, 2015, ILRI CampusAddis Ababa, Ethiopia

Data collection in N2africa

N2Africa

?

“putting nitrogen fixation to work for smallholder farmers growing legume crops in Africa”

What works where, why and for whom?

How to tailor technologies?

Diagnostic trials

Constraints

biophysical

Demonstration trials

Best-bet

Biophysical + management

Adaptation trials

Best-fitBiophysical +

management + farmer interventions

Researcher- managed agronomy(specialised

agronomy trials, non responsive soils)

N2Africa-led dissemination

Technology

Learning

Common technologies

Evaluating performance on farm

Demonstration trial

Adaptation trial

Adaptation trial

Adaptation trial

Adaptation trial

Adaptation trial

Adaptation trial

Adaptation trial

Adaptation trial

= + + ?+

DEMONSTRATION

ADAPTATION

FOCALtrials

DIAGNOSTICQuantity of data

Nu

mb

er of trials

Training /

Capacity building

Focal adaptation trials

Learning -> Feedback loops

M&E / Research

Demonstration

Adoption /Adaptation

N2Africa and data

D&D

D2R:

Data delivery and feedback

Some problems with paper...

Collection + Centralisation + Capture + Transfer =

A rather long time

Inconsistency ≠ inconcistensie

36N0663880, 153548 = Where exactly?

Advantages of electronic data collection

- Speed of delivery (fast turnover)

- Potential for improved accuracy and consistency

- Incorporation of GPS, media

Disadvantages of electronic data collection

- Management and administration of forms

- Need for some technical know-how and infrastructure

- Tablets break, get borrowed, rained upon etc.

Managing forms....

Open Data Kit

“A free and open-source set of tools which help organizations author, field, and manage mobile data collection solutions.”

A B C D E

Build forms Collect data Aggregate data

Preparations

Get ODK collect

Set up ODK aggregate on a server

Design XLS form

Convert to XML

Upload to server

Download to tablet

Build

Collect

Collect

Aggregate

Demonstration

Useful websites

http://opendatakit.org

http://opendatakit.org/xiframe/

http://xlsform.org

http://odk.n2africa.org:8080/ODKAggregate/Aggregate.html

on tablet (collect):

http://odk.n2africa.org:8080/ODKAggregate 

Username: n2africaethiopiaPassword: Opia/401

N2A

PLOT

OWN

LEGUME