Web Service Interface for Data Collection

TL;DR

This paper introduces a web service-based interface for efficient, platform-independent data collection in information systems, demonstrated through an education management system example.

Contribution

It presents a novel web service interface that simplifies and automates data collection from XML-stored sources across diverse platforms.

Findings

Facilitates regular data collection through web services

Supports platform independence via XML data handling

Applied successfully in a national education system

Abstract

Data collection is a key component of an information system. The widespread penetration of ICT tools in organizations and institutions has resulted in a shift in the way the data is collected. Data may be collected in printed-form, by e-mails, on a compact disk, or, by direct upload on the management information system. Since web services are platform-independent, it can access data stored in the XML format from any platform. In this paper, we present an interface which uses web services for data collection. It requires interaction between a web service deployed for the purposes of data collection, and the web address where the data is stored. Our interface requires that the web service has pre-knowledge of the address from where the data is to be collected. Also, the data to be accessed must be stored in XML format. Since our interface uses computer-supported interaction on both sides, it eases the task of regular and ongoing data collection. We apply our framework to the Education Management Information System, which collects data from schools spread across the country.