Data Collection Using Wearables, Sensors, and Apps in the Social, Behavioral, and Health Sciences

Course open for registration!
Open to all!

September 21-30, 2022
11:00am-1:00pm
Wednesdays and Fridays

The recent proliferation of mobile technology allows researchers to collect objective health and behavioral data at increased intervals, in real time, and may also reduce participant burden. In this course, we will provide examples of the utility of and integration of wearables, sensors, and apps in research settings. Examples will include the use of wearable health devices to measure activity, apps for ecological momentary assessment, and smartphone sensors to measure sound and movement, among others. Additionally, this course will consider the integration of these new technologies into existing surveys and the quality of the data collected from the total survey error perspective. We will discuss considerations for assessing coverage, participation, and measurement error when integrating wearables, sensors, and apps in a research setting as well as the costs and privacy considerations when collecting these types of data. Participants will work in groups to discuss a research study design using new technology and have the opportunity for hands-on practice with sensor data.

Not for academic credit.

Instructors: Florian Keusch and Heidi Guyer

All 2022 courses will be held in an alternative remote format.