Four Surprising Ways Mode and Gender Can Transform Your Survey Data

Abstract

Mobile data collection technologies are increasingly being used to collect data remotely. However, there is little information about how the mode of data collection might affect the resulting data and the conclusions drawn from those data. With the enormous growth of mobile connectivity in developing countries and the proliferation of apps enabling easy collection of data via mobile technologies, governments and development practitioners have been racing to complement face-to-face surveys with mobile data collection using phone interviews, SMS text messages, and Interactive Voice Response (IVR). Remote surveys using mobile technologies promise more cost-effective data collection, enabling increased frequency of data collection from more people and in remote and insecure locations