Mobile apps can help researchers collect data from the field in new ways. Some examples discussed are the iRecord Butterflies app, which has collected over 31,000 surveys, and PlantTracker, which has received over 10,000 invasive plant records. These apps allow geo-located data, photos, and metadata to be captured on phones and shared publicly, engaging citizens in research. They provide accessible ways for the public to contribute data that researchers can use to monitor species populations and tackle other issues. Apps work well for both researchers, who gain new data, and the public, who learn about research and see the impact of their contributions.

1. Mobile Apps for Research Data Collection
Dr Simon Price (Research IT Manager)
Polly Eccleston (Research IT Facilitator)

2. UK Butterfly Survey
BatMobile

3. How it works
Lat/Long obtained via phone’s GPS in the field
Normal accuracy between 2 and 8m
Photo +
Metadata

6. iRecord Butterflies (Butterfly Conservation)
• 31,000 surveys submitted this year.
• 2x Springwatch 2014 and 1x Autumnwatch 2014
• Data is being used by Butterfly Conservation to
monitor butterfly populations year and year.
• A significant public engagement tool for them.

7. PlantTracker (Environment Agency)
• 10,000 verified records of invasive plants submitted.
• Many projects using the data to tackle invasive non-native
species. e.g. Yorkshire wildlife trust and Jersey Council
• Probably the highest quality data set on invasive plants on
the NBN Gateway
• Data downloaded at least once per week on average by
researchers and others interested in the data

8. Why it works
For researchers:
– Geo-located data
– Photo attached (verifiable… most of the time)
– Enables previously impractical surveys
– Improves public understanding of research
For the public:
– Apps themselves are informative
– Accessible by anyone (potentially)
– Feedback via immediate visibility of contribution

9. onlinesurveys.ac.uk
9

10. 10
• BOS launched in 2003.
• £1m+ redevelopment from
2011 to 2014.
• New BOS released October
2014.
• Free for UoB researchers.

11. Who uses BOS?
• Over 85% of UK HEIs
• National "benchmarking" surveys (60+ universities)
– Careers in Research Online Survey (CROS)
– Postgraduate Research Experience Survey (PRES)
– Research Leaders survey
• Free for UoB researchers (180+ Bristol accounts)

12. App development in BOS
• Build data collection apps yourself without a developer.
• Mobile websites (& can package as app).
• Today:
• Surveys, web forms, logic and general data collection
• Planned:
• Geolocation, maps, access to camera and sensors

13. BatMobile

14. BatMobile project
• SoundHound, Shazam etc. enable people to identify
songs they hear, using a mobile app.
• BatMobile applies the same principle to identify species
of bats from their ultrasonic calls.
• Challenges:
– realtime on a mobile
– online vs. offline analysis
– ultrasound => need a special microphone

18. Research IT
simon.price@bristol.ac.uk
polly.eccleston@bristol.ac.uk
www.bristol.ac.uk/rit