Online data collection has become the standard even for small-scale academic research that is carried out by institution-based students and researchers.  This method of data collection promises ease of use, efficiency, and safety of the data management process. However, a major challenge that may worry students and other institution-based researchers intending to use online data collection is where to get a platform to deploy their research instruments and manage the data collected. While there are commercially available options, they are far beyond the reach of most small-scale researchers. Thankfully, a platform takes this burden off researchers: it is called the Kobo toolbox.

Hi! You are welcome to a brief introduction to the Kobo toolbox and its potential to address the research needs of small scale researchers interested in online data collection. If you are new to this channel, please subscribe to the my YouTube channel and follow this page, as it brings fresh beneficial content to you every week.

Kobo Toolbox is an integrated set of tools for building forms and deploying them to collect data whether you are online or offline. Because the software is open-source and free, you can install it on your server or a local machine such as a PC. However, if you do not have the resources to do so or are concerned with the potential risks of having your data on a local machine, Kobo Toolbox offers two public instances free of charge.

The first instance of the Kobo Toolbox offers limitless access and storage for humanitarian organizations to manage their tools and data. The second option which is the focus of this tutorial is targeting researchers, aid workers, and everyone else. This option allows you a storage space of 5 gigabytes per month and up to 10,000 data submissions per month. However, there is no limit to the number of projects you can create and host. This facility should be adequate for the type of researches that members of the academic community typically embark upon.

To enjoy the facilities that Kobo offers, you need to create an account. Search for Kobo Toolbox on Google to begin. You may also click on this registration link to start. The mandatory fields that you need to fill in on the registration page are username, email, and password. However, you may optionally fill in the other details requested as well.

When you create and activate an account, you would then have access to the Kobo tools in three categories:

The first is the form builder based on the ODK (open data kit) format. You can create your instruments or surveys in different question formats using this tool. 

When you create your forms, you may now explore the second category of tools, data collection. Meaning that you can deploy the instrument and collect data via phones, tablets, or any browser. The form can be used on mobile devices using the native Kobo collect app or ODK app available on the app stores. Irrespective of the platform used, Kobo tools have offline capabilities so that you can collect data even when there is no immediate access to the internet. The app or browser will sync with the Kobo server and store your data whenever internet connectivity is established.

Third, because kobo provides storage for your data, you can monitor and manage the data as it comes in. Data management tools available include summarizing and visualizing data in graphs, charts, and maps.

We will dive deeper into how to use each of the three categories of tools (form building, data collection, and management) in subsequent tutorials. So, be sure to subscribe to the channel for that.

However, if you want to start learning immediately, Kobo has a support page that addresses all the learning points you need to be conversant with the platform. Click on the hyperlink to access the Kobotoolbox support page.

Explore Kobo and feel free to share your experience with it or ask questions in the comments section. You may also use the comments section to let me know which aspects of the platform you would want my subsequent videos to cover. Thanks for listening and see you next time. Please do not forget to subscribe to the channel. Bye!