Use of GPS-Enabled Mobile Devices to Conduct Surveys

• Activity Number: 250
• Type: Contributed
• Date/Time: Monday, August 1, 2011 : 2:00 PM to 3:50 PM
• Sponsor: Section on Survey Research Methods
• Author(s): Sowmya R. Rao*+ and Gary Shapiro and Theresa Diaz
• Companies: University of Massachusetts Medical School and Statistics Without Borders and UNICEF
• Keywords: Surveys ; GPS-enabled mobile device ; PDA

Abstract

Sampling households (HHs) based on geographic location for surveys in countries where such information is unavailable can be challenging. The use of Geographic Information Systems can help overcome this challenge. As part of a UNICEF project in Sierra Leone, to implement and evaluate Community Health Volunteers strategy to treat Malaria, Diarrhea, and Pneumonia in children under five years of age, a baseline survey of 6000 HHs was conducted. Global Positioning System (GPS) enabled mobile devices were used to enumerate HHs using GPS sample. The HHs were then selected using a simple random sampling scheme which was coded into the mobile device (e.g., PDA). The skip patterns for the survey were also programmed into the PDA, vastly improving quality control of the data. These data were then uploaded into an ACCESS database, making them immediately available for analysis. Another advantage of using PDAs was to examine whether the interviews were actually conducted at the selected household, by comparing the GPS recorded location of the household at enumeration and at the time of the interview. The survey was highly successful with very high response rates and good quality data.