We recently published a comprehensive blog post about data collection design and how to choose the best data collection tool for a specific project. The post is filled with useful tips, but here’s the first one: Before choosing a data collection tool, consider your budget.
Quality data collection is costly, no matter the tool. But there are several great open-source and non-profit data collection tools available, which can help control costs without sacrificing quality or usability. Khulisa and its partners were early adopters of Open Data Kit (ODK), an open-source data collection tool, and have recently moved to KoboToolbox, a free tool provided by a technology non-profit, for several of its evaluations in the education sector. Khulisa also uses Survey Monkey, a hugely popular data collection tool, which offers both free and affordable paid versions.
For more thoughts on how to choose the best data collection tool for your budget, read the full blog post or watch our recent “The Science Behind Data Collection” webinar, presented as part of gLOCAL Evlauation Week, on YouTube. Also, stay tuned for more data collection #EvalTuesdayTips in the coming weeks.
