Mapping and data collection tools

In today's workshop we will discuss useful tools for collecting and mapping data in the field. 

We will also look at some of the resources available online to provide information that we can use to help us create our maps and surveys.

We will compare different tools for creating maps and conducting surveys, and discuss how to develop a workflow that minimizes the need to spend additional time transcribing and transferring data. Each time you have to manually copy or enter information you spend additional time and money, and you make errors. Using digital maps and forms on your phone can save a great deal of time and money, as well as providing more accurate information.

1. We will begin by learning how to find existing geospatial data for our study area. Geospatial data are data that have a geographical location associated with them, which means that they can be mapped. For example, if you record the Latitude and Longitude of a place you can put it on a map. If you know the street address or other location information, you can map it. Files containing geospatial data are usually formatted as either a spreadsheet (CSV file) or a map file (the ArcGIS format is a SHP file and the Google Earth format is a KML or KMZ file). Finding out what is already known about a study area can help you conduct your field work. For example, you might find data online about  the location of medical facilities or schools, camp boundaries, infrastructure and other useful information that can be added to your maps before conducting interviews.

2. We will then learn how to use the Google Map on your phone for virtual site visits and for field work. You can use the Google Map during an interview to find locations and see satellite imagery and Street View to help interviewees remember places. You can also get directions to places and plan your field work in advance. You can also use the Google Map to view maps that you created using Google My Maps in the field. Imagery from the Google Map can be saved for use offline.

3. If possible, Google Earth Mobile is a better map to use for interviews in the field since you can create a map while you work. This Direct-to-Digital technique is better than using the simple Google Map since you can create your map with notes, photos, etc. during an interview. It is also better than using paper maps since you will not have to copy the information after the interview. You can use Google Earth Mobile to make maps using our phones offline in the field and they will automatically show up in your laptop Google Earth Web.

4. We will then learn about using Google Forms to gather survey information and to help you organize your own notes during interviews. Answers from Google Forms can be saved to a spreadsheet, which is a good way to organize survey data. It can also be imported into Google Earth Pro or Google My Maps so that you can create a map of locations mentioned in the survey. To use Google Forms you must have wifi or a cellular connection.

5. KoboToolbox, which is a survey tool used by many humanitarian organizations, is a more sophisticated survey tool that can be used offline. This is better than Google Forms if you need to work in the field without wifi or cellular service, if you want to create complex survey forms, and if you want to automate the collection of Latitude and Longitude for locations you visit during your field work. 

6. The information we collect in the field can be exported from Google Earth Mobile, Google Forms and KoboToolbox and combined into a map that we can create using Google My Maps.

• The Google My Maps can then be shared with colleagues who can edit the map 

• The Google My Maps can be embedded in a website 

• The Google My Maps can be viewed on your phone in the field

• You can import spreadsheets (CSV files) and export them as KML files for use in Google Earth Web 

This workflow provides an easy and powerful set of tools for collecting and sharing data from field work.

The first step is to look for existing maps and map data to help you with your field work. You can find a lot of helpful information from a variety of online resources. Below are some examples to show you the variety of information you can find by searching the internet.

Google Earth Mobile is one of the mapping tools we can use to conduct interviews in the field. Google Earth Mobile can be used to create your own map in the field and save it to your phone, or when you are online, you can save it to your Google Drive account. Creating the map in Google Drive allows you to share your map and access it on your laptop for further editing in Google Earth Web.

• Google Earth Mobile can be used on both Android and Apple phones and tablets. 

• You can save the imagery before going into the field and then use it offline to create a map.

• You can use your phone for participatory mapping in the field. By walking through an area while viewing the map on your phone you can provide additional cues during your interviews to help interviewees recall events. Using a voice recording app or your phone's video recorder you can record audio and video to upload to your Google Drive and later embed it in your final Google Earth Web map that you create on your laptop.

• You can also check the accuracy of maps that you have created on your laptop by taking them in the field and correcting information and locations.

Google Forms is a quick and easy way to create forms for interviews and data entry. You must have either wifi or cell service to use Google Forms on your phone. If you have to work offline you should use Kobo Toolbox instead (see next section below). Google Forms can be filled out on a phone or embedded in a website (see below). The answers to the questions in your Google Form can be sent to a spreadsheet, making it easy to organize your data. The answer spreadsheet can also be imported into a Google My Maps (see below) as long as you have some geographical information in the spreadsheet such as street addresses or Latitude and Longitude. 

Kobo Toolbox is used by many humanitarian organizations for conducting interviews in the field. It allows you to create forms and use the forms on your phone in the field without wifi or cell service. Kobo Toolbox is free and user friendly. You can find our workshop with detailed instructions by clicking here

Google My Maps is a laptop application (there isn't a phone app). It is useful because you can import a spreadsheet to make a map, which allows you to create a map from the answers to a Google Form. You can also import data that you have downloaded from online sources such as the boundaries for camps at Cox's Bazar in the example under "Finnding existing data" in the first section.

You can also view a map that you have created by opening it in the Google Maps app on your phone. This means that you can import data from various sources into your map, add a layer with data from your survey collected using Google Forms (or Kobo Toolbox), and then use it for your field work on your phone.

The Google Earth app, in contrast, will allow you to build a map in the field, but it will not import spreadsheet data, so depending on your needs you will use the Google Earth app and the Google My Maps app for different needs.