The short answer is… almost anything! ODIN allows for asking numerous types of context-based questions using rules. In the ODIN framework, rules are the hallmark of the system. Rules describe when specific questions will “fire” to participants smartphones (for example, every day at a certain time, when a participant enters a specific geographic space as defined by GPS, when a participant answers a prior question in a certain way, or when two participating phones are within Bluetooth range of one another). This dynamic software also allows new questions to be added to existing survey protocols as initial results become available. This responsive survey design is an increasingly important tool in the social, behavioral, and health sciences. ODIN allows researchers to create two types of questions: multiple choice questions and free text questions
- : regular, periodic questions that appear on participants phones at fixed intervals throughout the day (For Example - Twice Daily OR Every Monday at 10AM)
- : responsive data based on context based prompts and answers to prior questions (For Example - Regular Skip Patterns OR Demographic Data)
- : questions that appear on participants phone when they come within Bluetooth range of a static beacon or prespecified GPS coordinates. (For Example – Health Clinics OR Participants Home)
- : questions that appear on participants phone when they come within Bluetooth range of other participants in the study (For Example –Schools OR Support Meetings)
- : questions that appear when participants self-report a behavior or feeling using a button function (For Example – Witnessing Violence OR Using Substances)
Answers to context-sensitive questions produce relevant, real-time data from participants on specific interactions, physical health, and emotional states. These could include one-time prompts or daily inquiries. The questions asked and the conditions under which they will be asked (i.e., once, repeated on schedule, prompted by prior answers, or prompted by identifiable interaction patterns) can be determined by researchers based on their interests.
It is impossible to support all Android devices due to the huge fragmentation in the Android ecosystem. A new version of Android comes out each year and many older versions are still in used. Furthermore, each OEM or original equipment manufacturer (e.g. Samsung, LG, etc) makes their own modifications to the stock Android version. As a result, each device model will have behaviors that are slightly different.
As an example, newer versions of Android have much more restrictions on third party apps due to privacy and battery concerns. Some OEM also have their own custom battery optimization software that will kill third party apps after some time when the phone is asleep. For apps like ODIN that requires running in the background, this is a major concern.
Assuming that it's not a bug on our end, here are some of the reasons:
1. Inaccuracy of the sensors – Sensor data are estimates and are not perfect. GPS might experience GPS drift. Bluetooth sensor is based on the signal strength and can be affected by physical obstacles such as walls. Additionally, Bluetooth sensor also requires timing with other devices in the study. If two phones’ clocks are off, then it’s possible to miss each other during the scan.
2. Periodic nature of the sensors – In order to conserve power, sensors are not constantly running and are only activated periodically. ODIN assumes that your data remains the same during the gap period between two readings.
3. App died – If the app dies, sensor readings and question firings may be delayed or not occur at all. For example, let’s assume that ODIN dies at 5 PM and the last GPS recording was at your workplace. ODIN revives next morning at 11 AM and records that you are at work. ODIN will assume that you are at work the whole time between 5 PM last night to 11 AM this morning because it does not know that you went home at 6 PM last night. As a result, you may be asked questions that you weren’t expecting and be missing questions that you were expecting.
4. Network issues for back-end rules – Some rules might be in the server instead of on the phone. If your phone is experiencing network issues, it might miss the question firing that the server sends
The ODIN server receives interaction data from the ODIN app every 20 minutes. This includes data on: (1) the participant’s engagement with Service Stations, (2) the participant’s interactions with other participants in the study, (3) the participant’s self-reports of daily behavior. This transfer takes place in the background over a secure SSL connection and requires no participant intervention.