Realities of using self-administered smartphone surveys to solve sustainability challenges

TL;DR

This paper explores using smartphone surveys to collect real-time data on human behavior and environmental issues in hard-to-reach areas.

Contribution

The paper provides practical insights and lessons from six field studies on smartphone survey implementation for sustainability research.

Findings

Smartphone surveys can collect detailed human behavior and socio-economic data across diverse regions.

Matching these data with environmental data can help address global sustainability challenges.

Continuous method refinement is needed to improve survey effectiveness.

Abstract

To fill data gaps in human-environment systems, especially in difficult-to-access locations, novel tools are needed to collect (near) real-time data from diverse populations across the globe. Here we discuss the practicalities, constraints, and lessons learnt from six field studies using high spatial and temporal smartphone surveys in six different countries. We suggest that high spatiotemporal, self-administered smartphone surveys will produce novel insights into human behaviour, attitudes, and socio-economic characteristics that, when matched with high spatiotemporal resolution environmental data (e.g., from remote sensing), can be used to address sustainability challenges for global communities. Furthermore, we highlight the need for continuous refinement and improvement in future developments to enhance the efficacy of this methodology. By sharing the practical implications and constraints associated with smartphone surveys, this article contributes to the evolving landscape of data collection methods.

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