Case Study

Catherine Dizon
Evaluation Associate

The Center for Evaluation and Research at University of California, Davis needed a mobile data collection solution to gather multimedia data from over 10,000 locations in the state of California. Evaluation Associate Catherine Dizon made it happen with iSURVEY.

The key to great results is great research. The Center for Evaluation and Research collects data in the field, carrying out observations at stores, multi-unit housing, and parks all across the state. Catherine and her colleagues needed to take notes, carry out polls, and capture images of signage and litter all while being on the move – and they needed it all in one package. “We needed an app that could work on all device types,” said Catherine. “It had to work with Android and Apple devices, including iPods, smartphones and tablets.” 

The complicating factor? Data security.

“We work with state and government agencies that don’t allow physically connecting anything to the computer. No jump drives, no USB – no physical connection to the computer.”

When it came to deciding on a mobile data collection solution, for Catherine iSURVEY and droidSURVEY were the logical choice.

iSURVEY’s multimedia features allowed for quick and easy data collection, and the online dashboard quashed any security concerns. “It’s all intuitive, and it’s secure,” she said. “iSURVEY was super easy to use, it was the best thing out there, it suited our needs and the pricing was right.”

With the help of iSURVEY, the Center for Evaluation and Research carried out critical research in over 10,000 stores, as well as parks and multi-unit housing, all across California.

“I have tested a lot of different programs over the last few years,” concluded Catherine. “And with iSURVEY and droidSURVEY, I have run into the fewest problems.”

Organisation Snapshot

The Center for Evaluation and Research at the University of California, Davis serves as the state-wide evaluation technical assistance provider for California’s tobacco control programs. It provides individual technical assistance, training, and evaluation-related resources, while striving to build the evaluation capacity of local programs.