THE DIGITIZED SURVEY PROJECT SPRING 2016
TONJE SWITZER 1
THEDIGITIZED
SURVEYPROJECT
Spring 2016
Tonje Switzer The Everett Program
University of California Santa Cruz
THE DIGITIZED SURVEY PROJECT SPRING 2016
TONJE SWITZER 2
PARTI-BASICINFORMATIONPersonalinformationName:TonjeSwitzerCollegeAffiliation:OakesMajor:Sociology
ConcentrationinGlobalInformationandSocialEnterpriseStudies(GISES)GraduationDate:6/12/2016Non-UCSCemail:[email protected]:(831)419-9487PartnerInformationOrganizationName:EverettProgramWebsite:everettprogram.orgEmail:[email protected]:(831)459-1572SupervisororMainContactName:ChrisBennerEmail:[email protected]:(530)574-7585ProjectVitalsNameofproject:TheDigitizedSurveyProjectLocation:SantaCruz,CaliforniaDaterange:April-June2016Technologiesused:KoboToolboxProgramandApponSamsungGalaxyTabletsThemes:DigitalSurveying,CommunityBasedParticipatoryResearch,HousingCrisisProjectThemesCapacitybuildingTechLiteracy
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TONJE SWITZER 3
ProjectExecutiveSummary:Aswithallresearch,themethodsemployedfordatacollectionandinterpretationarecrucialinassuringthetimelinessbywhichthedatacollectedcanbepublished.“WorkingforDignity”,asurveyoflowincomelaborersinSantaCruzCountyexecutedduringthe2014-15academicyear,exemplifiesthebottleneckofinformationthattendtooccurwhenlargeamountsofdataaregatheredandprocessedmanuallywithouttheaidofdigitaltools.Theproject’suseofpapersurveysrequiredmanualdatainputtorendertheinformationcompatiblewithprogramsforstatisticalanalysis,whichsubstantiallysloweddowntheeffortofmakingthedataavailabletothepublicbythemeansofawebsite.Community-basedparticipatoryresearch(CBRP)hasbeeninstrumentalincreatingthebasisforpolicychangesinareaspertinenttolocalcommunitiesacrossabroadrangeofissues1ThisprojectwasaimedatprovidingundergraduatestudentsinvolvedinUC-initiatedCBRPprojectswiththeskillsneededtogatherdatathroughsurveyingusingtheopensourceappKoboCollectonSamsungGalaxytablets.
DuringtheWorkingforDignityproject,anotherCBRPprojectwasalreadyintheplanningstagesconcerningthehighcostofrentalpropertyandalackofdataonrenter’sconditionsinSantaCruzCounty.TheNoPlaceLikeHomeprojectwasplannedasalargescalesurveyprojectwithagoalof1300surveysscheduledtobeginduringspringquarterof2016,andassuchpresentedanexcellentopportunitytoimplementthisproject.Thisprojectwasimplementedoverathree-monthperiod,ApriltoJuneof2016.AsafellowoftheEverettProgramIhadanestablishedrelationshipwithmypartnerorganization.FurtherIhaddevelopedaworkingrelationshipwithprincipalinvestigatorsStevenMcKaythroughtheWorkingforDignityproject,andMiriamGreenbergthroughseveralquartersofcoursework.IhadalsogainedexperiencewithcomparableresearchmethodsthroughbeingenrolledinthecourseSociology176AWorkandSociety,throughwhichthelatterpartoftheWorkingforDignitysurveyingwascarriedout.IpreparedfortheprojectthroughresearchinghowtousetheKoboCollectformbuildertobuildasamplesurvey,deployit,andtestitontheSamsungtablets.Inaddition,courseworkspecificallyaddressingAmericanhousingpoliciesandlocalissuesrelatedtothehousingcrisispreparedmeforunderstandingthescopeandimportanceofmanyofthesurveyquestions.DuringtheimplementationofthisprojectIsuccessfullytaught40undergraduatestudentsinteamsoftwohowtousetheKoboCollectapponSamsungGalaxytabletsduring6weeksoffieldworkresultinginthecollectionof406surveysacrossthreeneighborhoodswithinthecityofSantaCruz.
1 Minkler,Meredith.n.d.“PromotingHealthyPublicPolicyThroughCommunity-BasedParticipatoryResearch:TenCaseStudies”policylink.org.RetrievedApril6,2015
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DescriptionoftheDigitizedSurveyProjectThisprojectcreatedtheknowledgebaseandcapabilityoftheEverettProgramtodigitizesurveyeffortsinpartnershipwithcommunityorganizationsandresearchcenters.Mainachievementsincludeproducingthedigitizedversionofa300questionsurvey,andtraining40undergraduatestudentsinconductingthesurveyontablets,resultinginthecollectionof406surveysoverasix-weekperiod.Inaddition,twoworkshopswereheldwhere12individuals,includingthechiefinvestigatoroftheresearchproject,andresearchspecialistoftheEverettProgram,wereintroducedtotheprocessofconvertingapapersurveytoadigitalformat.FundingReceivedThisprojectreceived$2000infundingfromtheEverettGrant,whichcoveredtheexpenseofpurchasing12GalaxySamsungTabletsandcarryingcasesforthetablets.Thepurchaseoftheremaining8tabletsandcaseswascoveredbytheUCSCCenterforLaborStudies,andcost$1100.
NumberofPeopleServedDirectly45total40studentsweretrainedtoconductsurveys.12(students,faculty,andstaff)weretrainedincreatingdigitizedsurveys.Thetotalnumberbeing45isduetosomeoverlapbetweenthetwogroups.ThisnumberisexpectedtoriseasnewstudentsenrollintwocoursesintheWinterandSpringquarterof2017.Presumably80morestudentswillbetrainedinusingtabletsduringthe“NoPlaceLikeHome”surveyproject.NumberofPeopleServedIndirectlyNumberofpeopleservedindirectly:406Racialcompositionofpeopleservedindirectly:
Latino/a:50.91%,White:32.95%,Asian/PacificIslander5.91%,AfricanAmerican2.5%,NativeAmerican1.82%,morethanone:1.36%,noanswer:4.54%
Thisnumberisexpectedtoriseasmoresurveysareconductedthroughoutthe2016/17academicyear.Thegoalis1300surveysbytheendoftheSpring2017.Inaddition,thepurposeoftheresearchistoinformpolicymakersaboutrenter’sconditionsinSantaCruztospurpolicychanges,thuscreatingthepotentialofwidespreadindirectimpact.
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PARTII–PROJECTNARRATIVESection1–ResearchandPreparation
DefiningTheIssue
WhiletheDigitizedSurveyProjectisaimedatfacilitatingtheinvolvementoftheEverett
Programandundergraduatestudentsincommunitybasedparticipatoryresearch(CBPR)
overall,thespecificsocialissuethatwasaddressedduringtheimplementationofthis
projectisthehousingcrisisandsubsequentlackofaccesstoaffordablehousinginSanta
CruzCounty.TheCBPRNoPlaceLikeHome:VoicesandVisionsoftheHousingCrisisisledby
principalinvestigators;directoroftheUCSCCenterforLaborStudies,ProfessorSteven
McKay;anddirectorofUCSCUrbanStudiesResearchCluster,ProfessorMiriamGreenberg.
IthasbeenconceivedofanddevelopedincollaborationwiththeCaliforniaRuralLegal
Assistance,CommunityActionBoardofSantaCruzCounty,ShelterProject,Community
Bridges,andNuevaVistaCommunityCenter.Thesecommunitypartnershavebeen
instrumentalintailoringthesurveyquestionstoourlocalconditionssothatthefindings
canbemostusefulintheircontinuedworkwithtenantsandpolicymakersinSantaCruz
County.
Iidentifiedtheneedforadigitizedsolutiontosurveyingthroughmyinvolvementinthe
ambitiousCBPReffort,WorkingforDignity:TheLowWageWorkerProject,thatwas
launchedasacollaborativeCBPRprojectbetweentheUCCenterforLaborStudiesand
CaliforniaRuralLawAssociation(CRLA).Duringthecourseof5quartersin2014and2015.
1,400papersurveyswerecollectedentirelybyundergraduatestudentsenrolledinoneof
twoclassestaughtbytheprincipalinvestigatorofthesurveyproject,ProfessorSteven
McKay.Theprocessofmanuallyenteringthedatafromthe1400papersurveytorenderit
compatiblewithdigitaldataanalysiswasdelegatedtotwoteamsofeightstudentsover
twoquarters.Factorssuchaspoorhandwritingandconfusionabouthowtorecord
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answersthatdidnotfollowtheintendedlogicofthequestionnaire,ledtoinstancesthaton
manyoccasionsdoubledtheestimated15-20minutepersurvey.
AsCBRPprojectssuchasWorkingforDignityarecommonlydependentonfundingfrom
donors,costeffectivenessandresponsiblebudgetingareissuesthatcannotbetaken
lightly.Thesoleactofprintingthesurveysonpaperamountedtoacostof$1,200,andin
theeventofasimilarprojectthatlackthesufficientnumberofstudentstofillthedata
entrypositionsforcoursecredits,suchworkwouldbepaidatarateofminimum$10/hour
andwouldaddasubstantialeconomicburdentotheprojectasanestimatesof15-20
minutespersurveyadsuptoanaverageof410hours’worthofdatacleaningandinput.
Thefollowingdelayinavailabilityofdataseverelysloweddowntheimportantaspectof
theCBRPprocessofmakingtheresearchfindingsavailabletothepublic.Asafellowofthe
EverettProgram,IwasinvolvedinthisprocessthroughthedevelopmentoftheWorking
forDignitywebsite2.Whilethewebdesignteamstartedworkingonthelayoutofthesite
duringthe2015winterquarter,nosubstantialamountofdatawasavailableuntilthe
beginningofspringquarter.Eventhen,approximatelyonefourthofthedatawasstillnot
cleanedandprocessed,causingaraceagainsttheclocktocompletethesitebeforethe
launchattheMuseumofArtandHistory(MAH)onMay7th20153.
Inadditiontotheexcessiveamountofdatacleaningandmanualentryneeded,theactual
timeusedtoconducteachsurveycanbeacompromisingfactorforaresearchprojectin
termsofsurveyfatigue.Towardsthemiddleandendofalengthysurvey,respondentstend
toanswerquestionsinmannersthatwillpresumablyshortentheoveralltime-spanofthe
questionnaire,heighteningtheriskofjeopardizingresultsthroughmissingorfaultydata4.
Whennavigatingcomplexmanualskip-logicpatternsonlongsurveys,abigpersonal
2http://workingfordignity.ucsc.edu/3https://web.archive.org/save/_embed/https://santacruzmah.org/event/community-rental-santa-cruz
low-wage-worker-study-website-launch-photo-exhibit-and-community-dialog/4 Backor,Kristen,SaarGolde,andNormanNie.2007.“EstimatingSurveyFatigueinTimeUseStudy.”1–59.
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responsibilityisthusplacedonthesurveyorintermsofmovingthroughthesurveyina
timelyfashionasafailuretodosomayleadtosurveyfatigueearlierinthesurvey.
Minimizingthisresponsibilityforundergraduatestudentsthatarerelatively
unexperiencedwithsurveyfieldworkcanhaveadramaticimpactbothonthenumberof
surveysthatcanbecollectedinafiniteamountoftime,andthequalityofthedata
gathered.
Inarecentstudycomparingface-to-facepapersurveysandtabletbasedsurveysthelatter
wasshowntoreducecostpersurveyby73%andtheamountoftimeusedpersurvey-
questionby46%.Eliminatingtheneedfordataentryandcleaning(e.g.hiredlabor)saved
bothexpensesandtime,whiletimewasadditionallyreducedbyshorteningthedurationof
theactualsurveythroughthebuiltinskiplogicfunctionofdigitizedsurveytools(Leisher:
267).Aseparatestudyevaluatingface-to-facesurveysofunderservedpopulationsinrural
UScommunitieswithlittlepreviousexposuretotabletcomputers,showedastrong
preferencefortablet-overpenandpapersurveys(Newell:112).
InorderforUCSCdepartmentstosuccessfullyandcontinuouslyengageinCBRPsthat
promoteandco-createactionforsocialjusticechange,anupgradeintheformof
digitizationwaswarranted,andhasofnowbeenimplementedthroughsupportingthe
digitizationofthesurveyinstrument,datacollection,processing,andanalysisfortheNo
PlaceLikeHomeresearchproject.Inaddition,thisprojecthasaddressedtheEverett
Program’sprofessedneedofnetworkingacrosstheUCSCcampusbycreatingan
opportunitythroughskillbuildingoftheEverettstudentbody,fellows,andstaff,enabling
theEverettProgramtoengageinandimplementprojectsthatinvolvedigitizedsurveying
inthefuture.
DevelopingthePartnership
AsafellowoftheEverettProgram,thoughtsofhowmyactionscouldcontributetoenrichingtheprogram’s
approachofusingtechnologyinthepursuitofpromotingsocialandenvironmentaljusticethrough
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amelioratingissueshadalreadybecomeafocalpointofmyacademiccareeratUCSC.Throughidentifying
theneedforadigitizedsurveymethodthroughmyinvolvementintheWorkingforDignityproject,I
conceptualizedhowthismightsimultaneouslybenefittheEverettProgram.Ienvisionedthatsuchbenefit
wouldderiveprimarilyfromCBPRprojects,butalsothroughtheavailabilityforstudentstoconduct
surveystoassesstheimpactoftheirsocialenterpriseprojects.ThroughconversationswithProfessorand
DirectoroftheEverettProgram,ChrisBenner,andTechnicalDirectoroftheEverettProgram,Thomas
Gelder,Iwasabletoconfirmtheneedandwillingnessoftheprogramtoadddigitalsurveyingtothehostof
technologiestheprogramengageswith.
PlanningtheProject
Theoverarchinggoalofthisprojectwastofacilitatedigitaldatacollectionincampus
sponsoredCBPRprojectsthatinvolveundergraduatestudentsandareconcernedwith
socialand/orenvironmentaljusticeissueswiththeaimoftransformingfindingsinto
actionthroughpolicychangesand/orotherprofessedandmeasurablemethods.
Directobjectivesincluded:
1. Toshortenthetimegapbetweendatacollectionanddataanalysisinsurveyprojects
throughtheuseofSamsungGalaxytabletsandtheopen-sourceprogramKobo
ToolboxandappKoBoCollect.
Thisobjectivewasdevelopedasadirectresultofthefrustratingexperiencethat
waitingforusabledataduringthebuildingoftheWorkingforDignitywebsite
provided.IstronglybelievethatCBPRprojectsthataimatspurringsocialchange
throughtheactionofcommunitymembers,policymakers,orstakeholdersin
general,aredependentonthetimelydeliveranceofdata,andIwantedtoapproach
thissolutionthroughthefollowingdeliverables:
o Becomingproficientintheuseofthetabletsandsoftware.
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o CreatingadigitizedsurveyincollaborationwithchiefinvestigatorsoftheNo
PlaceLikeHomeproject.
o Creatingacurriculumforteachingundergraduatestudentsinvolvedin
CBPRshowtousetheplatformandsoftware.
o Teachtheundergraduatestudentsenrolledin176ainthespringof2016
howto,confidently,accurately,andautonomously,conductfieldworkusing
thedigitizedNoPlaceLikeHomesurveyinstrument.
2. Tomaintainthesustainabilityofthisprojectbyincorporatingcurriculumthat
concernstheuseofthesurveytechnologythroughoneofthetechlabs.
ThisobjectivewasdevelopedthroughassessingtheneedsoftheEverettProgramin
termsofaddingtotherepertoireoftechnologiesthattheyteach.Know-howof
digitalsurveyingwouldenableEverettstudenttopartnerwithorganizationsin
needofdatacollection,andassuchpresumablyalsoenablepartnershipsbetween
theEverettProgramandnewpartnerorganizations.Planneddeliverablesincluded:
o CreatinganeasilyaccessiblecurriculumforteachingEverettstudentshowto
usetheplatformandsoftwareincludingbrainstormingactivitiesofhowthis
technologycouldenhancetheirindividualprojects.
o Teachingthiscurriculumeitherthroughoneofthemandatorytech-labsoras
a2-unitlab.
3. TopromoteandcreatepartnershipsbetweentheEverettprogramanddepartments
onUCcampusesinvolvedinresearchconcerningsocialand/orenvironmental
justicethroughanactiveoutreachandinformationalcampaignaboutthisproject.
ThisobjectivewasdevelopedthroughassessingtheneedoftheEverettprogramto
engageinprojectsacrossdepartmentsontheUCSCcampus.Fulfillingthisobjective
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willaidinmaintainingandincreasingthediversityoftheEverettprogram,
especiallyintermsoftheprogram’seffortsatattractinganinterdisciplinarystudent
base.Planneddeliverablesincluded:
o Creatinganddistributingastandardizedletterhighlightingthebenefitsof
digitizedsurveytools,whiledescribingthisproject’sgoals,resourcesand
requirements.
o SeekingoutongoingorproposedUCsponsoredprojectsthatwould
potentiallybegoodpartnersofthisprogram.
o FollowinguponestablishingpartnershipacrossUCdepartmentsonan
ongoingbasis.
LearningtheTechnology
Duringthesummerof2015Ipurchased12SamsungGalaxytabletswitha$2000grant
fromtheEverettProgramandpreparedthembyregisteringthemtocommonGmail
accountSamsungaccounts.IdownloadedthefreeandopensourcedigitalsurveyappKobo
Collectonalltablets,andsetthemupfordualuserstolimitstudentaccesstoapplications
non-vitaltothesurveyingprocess.Thisprocessaidedmeinbecomingfamiliarwiththe
overalllayoutandfunctionofthetablets.
IalsostartedengagingwithonlineforumsandtutorialsonhowtousetheKoboToolbox
formbuilderduringsummerandfallof2015.Thisprocesshascontinuedthroughoutthe
implementationoftheprojectasneedsarosebasedontheactualquestionsusedintheNo
PlaceLikeHomesurvey.AsIdidnotreceivetheactualsurveyuntilthebeginningofthe
2016springquarter,andonly4weeksbeforesurveyinginthefieldwasscheduledtostart,
Iwasaffordedverylimitedtimetoactuallydesignthedigitizedversionofthesurvey.The
monthsleadinguptoSpring16werethusinstrumentalinallowingmetoquicklyaccess
thefunctionsandsettingsintheformbuilderinordertoefficientlycreatethesurvey.
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ResearchingFundingOpportunities
ThecombinationoftheEverettgrant,andthefundsputforwardbytheUCSCCenterforLabor
Studiesprovedtobesufficienttopurchasetheneeded20tablets,includingprotectivecarrying
cases.OriginallyIhadbudgeted$100forteachingmaterials,butasallthematerialsusedare
digital,thisexpectedcostwaseffectivelyeliminated.Theprojectthusstayedwithinbudget
withouttheneedtoapplyforanyadditionalfunding.
PreparationfortheFieldwork
Inadditiontothepreviouslymentionedtaskoffamiliarizingmyselfwiththehardwareand
softwareneededforthisproject,IenrolledinthecourseSOCY177EEcoMetropolistaughtby
chiefinvestigatoroftheNoPlaceLikeHomeprojectMiriamGreenbergduringthewinterquarter
of2016.Thecourseservedadoublepurposeaspreparationforthisproject,throughintroducing
metoU.S.housingpoliciesandlocalhousingissueswhilesimultaneouslyfacilitatingthe
developmentofrapportwiththestudentsintheclass,themajorityofwhomcontinuedonto
ProfessorStevenMcKaySOCY176Acourseandconductedsurveysinthefield.
Priorcourseworkhasalsopreparedmeforthisproject,andespeciallytheSOCY30A,B,andC
courseswereinstrumentalingainingfamiliaritywithgrantwriting,projectplanning,project
implementation,andprojectevaluation.Althoughthetechnologylabsthataremandatory
throughtheseriesdidnotspecificallypreparemethroughpassingknowledgeaboutdigital
surveying,theyimbuedmewithanoverallconfidenceinmyabilitytolearnnewtechnologyas
needed.
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Section2–ImplementationandEvaluation
ImplementingtheProject
Thetwoaspectsoftheprojects,teachingstudentshowtousetabletsinthefieldfordigital
surveying,andteachingstudents,Everettpersonnel,andfellowshowtocreatedigitalsurveyswas
initiallyovershadowedbyanintensefourweeks’periodatthebeginningofthespringquarter
2016.Duringthatperiod,virtuallyallmyfreetimeandattentionwasfocusedondigitizingtheNo
PlaceLikeHomesurveyinstrumentthatwaspresentedtomeinaWorddocumentonMarch27,
twodaysbeforethe176Asurveyclasswasscheduledtoconveneforthefirsttime.
- BuildingtheSurvey
AlthoughtheKoboToolboxformbuilderhasbeendevelopedbytheHarvardHumanitarian
Institutetofacilitatethecreationofdigitalsurveyinstrumentswithoutextensiveknowledge
abouthowtoworkinExcelthroughprovidinguserfriendly‘drop-and-drag’and‘copy-and-paste’
functions,transferringthequestionsfromanon-digitaltoadigitalformatrequiredextensive
hoursofwork.Whilebuildingthesurveys,thetemplatewasconstantlyrevisedbyprofessor
McKayinconsultationwithprofessorVeronicaTerriquezoftheUCSCCenterforStatistical
AnalysisintheSocialSciences.Frequentrevisionsmeantfrequentupdates,followedby
changesinskiplogicandvalues.ThesurveywassimultaneouslytranslatedintoaSpanish
versionbyateamofstudenttranslators,andneededtobeprogrammedandupdated
concurrently.Althoughwedeployedtwopilotsurveysduringthefirstthreeweeksofthe
quarterwhichallowedthestudentsmakingupthe20surveyteamssomepracticetimeand
anopportunitytogetfamiliarwiththesurveyquestions,theactualsurveywasnot
completedanddeployedonthetabletsuntilthedayofthefirstsurveyinginthefield.
Astherealsurveyingstartedwithoutanytimeforpilotingthesurveyconstantupdates
wereneeded.Somechangeswereduetowordingofquestionsthatweredeemed
confusing,othersoccurredbecauseaskiplogicwasnotworkingasithadbeenintended.In
addition,theinitialSpanishversionwasreferredtobythesurveyorsas“clunky”,“not
flowing”and“tooformalwhichresultedinanotherweekofworkingcloselywiththe
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translationteam,re-programmingtheSpanishversion,andredeployingtheduallanguage
surveyoneweeklaterbeforeourseconddayinthefield.Followingtheseconddeployment,
twomorefollowedbeforethequarterwasover,againduetoissuesofwording,andina
fewinstancesaddingansweroptionstothesurveyasdatapatternsemerged.
- TeachingStudentsHowtoSurveyUsingTablets
Teachingthestudentshowtousethetabletsforsurveyingprovedfairlyuncomplicatedas
allhavepriorexperiencewithmobiledevices,andthesurveyinterfaceisdesignedtomake
accessanduseeasyregardlessoflevelsofexperiencewithdigitaltools.Onthedaythe
studentswereintroducedtothetabletsinclass,Ishowedthemthebasicsofhowtoaccess
thesurveyusinganoverheadprojectorandmyownpersonaltablet.Afterthisbrief
introductionthestudentsfamiliarizedthemselveswiththepilotsurveyinteamsoftwo
whileIcirculatedtheroomassistingteamsandansweringquestionsasneeded.Although
studentswerefamiliarwithusingmobiledevicesnonehadexperienceusingstyluspensto
writeontouchscreens,andasthisisanoptionthatforsomemightprovefasterthan
typingtheanswers,Imadeapointofshowingstudentshowtosetupthisfunction.
- TeachingStudents,Faculty,EverettStaff,andFellowsHowtoBuildaDigitizedSurvey
InordertoteachtheinterestedpartiesabouttheKoboToolboxformbuilder,Icreatedaseparate
38questionsurveywhereIusedthemostcommonquestiontypes,groupingofquestions,and
skiplogicfunctions.Itookscreenshotsofallthenecessaryfunctions,addedcomments,andused
theseinthecreationofapresentationusedinaworkshopIledtwicetowardstheendofthe
spring2016quarterforatotalof12individuals.Duringtheworkshop,Itaughthowtocreatea
surveydirectlyintheformbuilder,howtouploadanexistingsurveyinExcelformat,howto
deploythesurvey,andhowtoaccessthesurveyonmobiledevicesoraswebforms.Ialsotouched
brieflyonhowtoconductpreliminarydataanalysisdirectlythroughtheKoboToolboxaccount.
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- WaysinWhichtheGoalsfortheProjectChanged
FormysecondgoalIhadenvisionedteachinghowtobuildadigitalsurveyanduseitforfield
workontabletstoEverettstudentsenrolledintheSociology30A,B,andCcourseseriesatsome
pointduringthe2015/16academicyear.ThispreliminaryplanwaschangedasIneededtogain
substantialhandsonexperiencemyselftoidentifywhataneffectivecurriculumwouldpossibly
looklike.AsIreceivedtheactualsurvey,andinitiatedtheprojectinthebeginningofthespring
quarterof2016asopposedtomyinitialtimelineoffall2015,Ididnothavetheadequate
resourcesorsupportneededtoembarkonacurriculumbuildingeffortthusearly.InsteadI
devisedtheworkshop,andwasabletogarnerinterestoutsideofregularcoursehours.
AlthoughthethirdgoalofpromotingandcreatingpartnershipsbetweentheEverettprogram
anddepartmentsonUCcampusesinvolvedinresearchconcerningsocialand/or
environmentaljusticewasfulfilledthroughtheactualimplementationoftheproject,Iwas
unabletocreateanyfuturepartnership.ThiswasmainlybecauseIdidnotfullyknowwhat
Iwouldbepromotinguntil,ifnotcompletion,atleastapreliminarypreparationforthe
projecthadbeencompleted.AspreviouslymentionedIreceivedtheactualsurvey
instrumentinwordformatsolatethatatthatpointIhadmyhandsfullwithimplementing
theactualproject.Althoughthispartoftheprojectwasnotcompletedasplanned,Ido
believethatmyeffortsthroughthisprojectcanbeusedtoestablishsimilarrelationships
betweentheEverettprogram,UCdepartments,andpartnerorganizationsinthefuture.
- WaysinWhichtheActualProjectDifferedfromtheOriginalPlan
EventhoughIsucceededincreatingcurriculumthatconcernstheuseofthesurvey
technology,itwastaughtinaworkshopandnotthroughoneofthemandatorytechlabs.I
hadplannedforthelabtobeanimportantpartofensuringsustainabilityoftheproject
throughimbuingtheentirecohortofEverettstudentswiththeknowledgeneededtocreate
andconductdigitalsurveys.Thechangeinplansforcedmetore-thinkhowsustainability
couldbeachieved.Earlyoninthespring2016quarterIapproachedoneofthestudents
thatwerepartoftheNoPlaceLikeHomeproject,andthatalsorecentlyhadbeenelecteda
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fellowoftheEverettProgram,andaskedifshewouldconsiderjoiningforceswithme.After
receivingclearancefromprofessorMcKay,Iproposedthathertaskinthesurveyproject
wouldbetoassistmeincreatingthesurvey,whileIwouldteachherhowtodoso.Iasked
ofherthatshewouldcommitthesameamountofhoursshewouldhaveonanyotherteam
ofthesurveyeffort,andthatshewouldcommittoteachingatleastoneotherEverettfellow
howtodowhatshewasnowabouttolearnbeforegraduatingfromUCSC.AssuchIwas
devisingapassingofthebatonofsorts.Initiallythisstudentseemedexcitedatmy
proposal,butafterjustafewweeksshedroppedthecoursealtogetherduetohaving
overextendedherselfintermsofhowmanycoursesshehadsignedupfor,andIwasback
tosquareoneintermsofsustainability.
Atthispoint,aboutmidwayofthequarter,Icametotwoimportantrealizations.Firstly,the
EverettprogramhadrecentlyhiredaResearchSpecialist,GabriellaGiusta,andshehad
consultedmeaboutthedigitizedsurveyforalectureshewasgivingonresearchmethods,
anditstruckmethatbygivingGiustamoreindepthknowledgeondigitizedsurvey
buildingshecouldteachEverettstudentsandfellowsastheneedmayarise.Secondly,I
recruitedonestudentthatconductedsurveysfortheNoPlaceLikeHomeprojectbothas
thestudentwhowillcontinuetoworkonthedigitalaspectsofthesurveythroughoutthe
courseofthisproject,andalsoasafutureEverettstudentasshehasenrolledin30Aforfall
2016.
- WaysinWhichtheImplementationDifferedfromtheOriginalPlan
Aspreviouslystated,Ireceivedthesurveytodigitizemereweeksbeforeitwastobeusedinthe
field.Ihadexpectedtobeabletodigitizethesurveyovertime,startingasearlyasmid-fall2015.
Suchatimelinewouldhaveprovidedanidealscenarioofsurveybuilding,piloting,andrevising
beforeconductingactualfieldwork.InsteadtheSOCY176Acoursethatfunctionedasthefirst
implementationofthesurveyinthefield,alsofunctionedasthepilotingofthesurvey.
Eachtimeanewversionisdeployed,itneedstobeuploadedphysicallytoeachofthetablet,
promptingmetospendafairamountoftimeupdatingstudent’stabletsduringlecturetime,and
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meetingwiththosethathadforgottentobringthetablettoclassoutsideoflecturetime.Ihadnot
envisionedthis,andhadassuchnottrainedtheindividualstudentsintheprocessofupdating
theirowntablets.Here,adifferenceinfamiliaritywithtechnologybecamemorepronounced.
Whilesomeofthestudentsfeltcomfortableupdatingthetabletsontheirown,othersdidnotand
preferredgettinghelpwiththis.
ImplementingtheProject
- ImpactonIntendedBeneficiaries
Thisprojecteliminatedtheneedformanualdatainput,freeingup8studentsperquarterto
conductsurveysinthefield.Italsoeliminatedinlargeparttheneedfordatacleaning,ajobthat
duringtheWorkingforDignityprojectwasbudgetedat$1500.Thereisalsomuchlessmissing
datathistimearound,asmostquestionsaremandatory,andcan’tbeskipped.
Thestudentsthatwerepartofthefieldsurveyteamswereimpactedthroughlearninghowtouse
tabletsfordigitizedsurveying,askillthatisvaluableinahostofsettings.Furthertheyreceiveda
full-circlelearningexperienceabouttheirpersonalcontributiontothesurveyproject.Thiswas
achievedduetothetheimmediateaccessibilityofthedataforanalysis,andeachstudentthat
conductedsurveyswerethuspresentedwithafairlysimplesetofselectvariablesontheexact
surveystheirteamoftwohadconducted.Forthefinalresearchpaper,theywereaskedtoanalyze
theirfindingsandplaceitincontextoftheirfieldexperience.Thisstandsinstarkoppositiontothe
WorkingforDignityprojectwheresomeofthestudentsthatconductedsurveysintheinitialparts
oftheprocesshadevengraduatedbeforeanyinferencesaboutthedatacouldbemade.
StudentsthatsurveyedforboththeWorkingforDignityproject,andtheNoPlaceLikeHome
Surveyreportedthattheypreferredtheusingthetabletforvariousreasons.Onewasthesimple
practicalityofnotneedingtocarrystacksofpaperwiththeminthefield,anotherwasthe
eliminatedneedofmeetingwithprofessorMcKaytoreceivenewsurveysoncetheyranout,but
couldconductasmanysurveysastheywishedwithnoneedtocheck-ininbetween.Iwascurious
tofindoutiftheindividualssurveyedseemedtopreferoneversionovertheother,andwas
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pleasedtohearreportsthatindicatedthattherewasapreferenceforthetabletsfromthe
individualsbeingsurveyedaswell.Therationaleforthiswasthatwiththepapersurveys,some
peoplewereworriedthatthesurveyscouldbetracedbacktothemincasethesurveyorsomehow
lostthesurvey,whilewiththetabletseveryonewerecomfortablethattheirinformationwassafe.
Thestudentsalsoreportedthatconductingthesurveysonthetabletwaslessconfusingforthem,
asonlyquestionsthatappliedtothesituationwouldappear,atestamenttothefunctionalityof
theskiplogic.Accordingtothestudentsthisallowedformorerapportbetweenthesurveyorand
thesurveyed,asawkwardprocessesandslowtransitionswereeliminated.
Thestudents,faculty,Everettstaff,andfellowsthatparticipatedintheworkshopalsogained
insightandsomepracticeintheprocessofcreatingadigitalsurveyintheKoboToolboxform
builder.Thisisalsoahighlyvaluableskillforanysocialsciencefield.Someofthesestudentswill
becontinuouslyinvolvedintheNoPlaceLikeHomeproject,ensuringthesustainabilityofthat
particularproject,whileotherssuchastheEverettProgram’sresearchspecialistwillbe
instrumentalinassuringthesustainabilityofthisprojectingeneral.
Theimpactonthesurveyedpopulationisimpossibletopredictatthispointasitisdependenton
thepoliticalwillwithintheCityandCountyofSantaCruz.Evenso,thedigitizingofthesurvey
processis,throughtheongoingcompilingandanalysisofthedata,facilitatingearlyinteractions
betweenthedataandthepublic.Aneventformid-Septemberisalreadyintheplanningstages,as
itwillpresentanopportunitytoinformSantaCruzCityCouncilmembers,candidates,and
constituentsabouttheissuesresultingfromthehousingcrisisbeforetheupcomingelection.
ThisprojecthasaddeddigitalsurveyingtotherepertoireoftechnologiesemployedbytheEverett
Programtoamelioratesocialandenvironmentaljusticeissues.Digitalsurveyingisatoolthatcan
beimplementedbothasthetechcomponentinastudent/organizationpartnershipproject,as
wellastoenrichtheincreasedresearchfocusoftheEverettprogram.
IamsatisfiedwiththedigitalsurveytoolIchose,andhowitfitwiththescopeofthisproject.Kobo
Toolboxisdesignedforusebyindividualsthatdoesnotnecessarilyhaveextensivetech
background,afactorthatgreatlyimprovetheoddsofthesustainabilityofthisprojectasitmakes
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itavailableforstudentsatanyleveloftechproficiency.Anotheraspectwiththesoftwareisthatin
spiteofbeingfeeandopensourceithasanexcellentsupportservice.Thereisanextensiveonline
forumwhereonecanfindtheanswertomostissuesthatmightcomeup,andiftheanswers
neededaren’tshowingupthere,theKobodeveloperswillgetbackwithadetailedinstructions
andupdatespersonally.
TheonlynegativeaspectIdiscoveredaboutKoboisinrealityadisguisedpositive:Becausethe
developersareconstantlyworkingonimprovingtheinterfacedesignandfunctionality,there
wereafewtimeswhenthetoolboxwasnotrespondingasIhadexpected.Around16hours
beforeweweresurveyinginthefieldforthefirsttime,Iwaschangingafewcrucialskiplogic
functions,andfromoneminutetothenext,thesettingsfunctionintheformbuilderstopped
workingresultinginacompletelackofaccesstothetoolsIneededtocompletethesurvey.I
emailedthedevelopersTinoandAlexdesperatelyaskingforassistance,followedbyareplyafew
nervewreckinghourslater.Turnsoutthattheywerechangingcertainaspectsoftheformbuilder
inordertomakeitpossibletoredeployapreviouslydeployedform,amajoradvantagewhen
changesareneededafterthefirstdeploymenthasalreadyoccurred.Theseminorchangeshave
continuedtooccurthroughtheimplementationoftheproject,andalwaysforthebetter.Inthe
nearfutureitwill,accordingtothedevelopers,alsobepossibletoaddasecondlanguagedirectly
intheformbuilderasopposedtodownloadingtheexcelformat,addingthesecondlanguage,and
uploadingtheexcelformagain.
TheSamsungGalaxytabletswereanintegralpartoftheproject,andIampleasedwithhowthey
workedinunisonwiththeKoboapp.Somestudentsusedtheirphonesafewtimes,andthis
workedwellalso,althoughthebenefitofalargerscreenwaspronounced,especiallywhentyping
inanswerstoopenendedquestions.
Icreatedasecondsurveyforcollectionofcontactinformationforindividualsthatagreedtobe
contactedagainforanindepthinterview.Therearetwoaspectsofthisprocessthatareworth
mentioningindetail.
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1. DuringtheWorkingforDignityproject,everyonesurveyedwereinvitedtoparticipatein
anindepthinterview.Thiscreatedanunnecessaryamountofworkfortheteamtasked
withcreatingdigitalstoriesfromtheinterviewsthathadsalientstoriesabout
discrimination,retaliation,wagetheftetc.astheyhadtolistenthroughahostofinterviews
thatdidnotpresentacompellingstory.Inordertoavoidthis,andstreamlinetheprocess,I
createdaskiplogicpatterninthesurveysothatthequestionaboutaindepthinterview
onlywouldcomeupattheendofthesurveyifcertainanswerswereanswered
affirmatively.
2. Thecontactinformationoftheindividualsthatagreedtositforanin-depthinterviewhad
toberecordedseparatelytopreservetheiranonymity.DuringtheWorkingforDignity
projectthesurveyorwouldsimplyplotdownthisinformationonapieceofpaperseparate
fromthesurvey,andlaterturnthisintoprofessorMcKay.Tostreamlinethisprocess,I
createdaquestionnairethatstudentsneedtoaccessseparatelyfromthemainsurvey,and
inwhichweonlyrecordthefirstnameandemailaddressorphonenumberofthe
interviewee.Thisapproachhasworkedverywell,andwehavegathered187contactsfor
in-depthinterviewssofar,someofwhichwerealreadyconductedduringspring-16.
VisualdocumentisanintegralpartoftheNoPlaceLikeHomeproject,andseveralstudentsare
taskedsolelywithphotographingtheareasandconditionsofthehousingstockinthe
neighborhoodswherethesurveysareconducted.Oneaspectthatgoesmissinginthisprocessis
photosfrominsidethehomeswherethesurveystakeplace.Thisagainisanissueof
confidentiality,asthesurveysmustnotcontainanyinformationthatcouldidentifythesurveyed.
AssuchIamintheprocessofcreatingathirdsurvey,thatwillbeusedtophotographinsidethe
subjects’homes,pendingtheirpermission.
IamconvincedthattheKoboToolboxsoftware,andtheKoboCollectappforthetabletswere
idealtoolsforthisproject.Theyareeasytouse,andveryversatileintermsofwhattypeof
questionsonecancreate.Theyalsoallowforeasymodificationduringanongoingsurveywhich
hasprovenacrucialcomponentduringtheimplementationofthisproject.
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LessonsforSuccessfulProjectImplementation
Thisprojectconstitutedvastamountsofsolitarybusyworkwhilebuildingthesurvey
interspersedwithmomentsofteamactivityduringfieldworkroundups,andmomentsof
teachingthetechcomponenttoduringclasstimeortheworkshops.AssuchIwasrequiredto
shiftfocusandapproachdependingonthesituation,andusekeentime-managementandre-
prioritizetasksasneedsshifted.Thisshiftinfocusfromdetailtobigpicture,andfromindividual
togroupeffortsuitsmypersonalitywell,andIthrivedinthistypeofasetting.
IfeltwellpreparedforimplementingthisprojectthroughmycompletionoftheSOCY30series
coursework,andthetechnologylabs.Throughplanningtheproject,andwritingthegrant
proposal,IdevisedastepbystepplanforhowIenvisionedtheprojectwouldoccur.Although
somedeliverablesbecameunobtainablealongtheway,Iwasabletokeepmysightsonthe
identifiedoverarchinggoal,andthemainobjectives.Ibelievethatwithouttheextensive
preparationintheSOCY30series,itwouldhavebeenmoredifficulttostayontrackasaspects
changed.Thetechnologylabspreparedmebybuildingtheconfidenceneededtoapproacha
projectwithamaintechnologycomponentthatIwasnotyetfamiliarwithatthetime.Thetwo
WordPresslabsIwasenrolledinalsohelped,astheKoboformbuilderinterfaceissimilarin
certainways.
LessonsforSocialInnovation
IenteredthisprojectthinkingthatIwouldhaveplentyoftimetodigitizethesurveybeforethefieldwork
wouldstart,whileinfactitwasaconstantraceagainstdeadlines.EveryforumandpaperIhavereadabout
creatingsurveyinstrumentsprofesstheneedforextensivepilotingtocatchandfixissuesbeforetheactual
surveyingbegin,andIcansecondthatthatwouldhavebeenaverygoodidea.Althoughthisaspectofthe
projectwasbeyondmycontrol,ifIweretodoasimilareffortinthefuture,Iwouldrequestamuchroomier
timelineforworkingoutinitialsurveykinks.
ThisprojecthasdeepenedmyunderstandingoftheimpactthatCBPRprojectscanhaveonsocial
problems,andalsohowdigitizingtheCBPReffortisinstrumentalinactingontheresearchinatimely
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manner.Inthecaseofthisproject,CityCouncilmembers,andotherstakeholdersinthecommunityhave
shownimmenseinterestintheresearch,assuchanumericallyrepresentativesampleofrentershasnever
beforebeenpresentedinSantaCruz.Becausethedataisimmediatelyavailableforanalysis,wewillbeable
topresentpreliminaryfindingsduringthecourseofthesurvey,coincidingthereleaseofinformationwith
communityeventsthatarealignedwiththepurposeoftheresearch.
HumanInterestPoint
Aftereachdayinthefieldtheentireteamwouldconveneintheneighborhoodscommunitycenter
andsharesomefood,andstoriesfromtheafternoon’ssurveyingexperience.Oneoftheseearly
eveningsInoticeoneofthestudentswalkinginwithtearyeyesandasadlookonherface.Iask
whatisthematter,andsherespondsbysharingthestoriesshehasjustheardoffamiliesescaping
gangviolenceonlytofindthemselveslivingwithratsandcockroachesandwaterdripping
throughtheroofontothechildren’sbedswhenitisraining…Thefamilyendedthesurveyby
askingifthestudentcouldpleasehelpthemfindanother,andbetter,placetolive.
Forme,thisisthereallesson;thateventhoughwesuccessfullyharnesstechnologyinthepursuit
ofsocialjustice,maintainingafocusonthepeopleattheheartoftheissuesisparamountin
pursuingsolutionsthatgeneraterealchange.
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WorksCited
Anon.n.d.“WorkingforDignity.”WorkingforDignity.RetrievedMay20,2016(http://workingfordignity.ucsc.edu/).
Backor,Kristen,SaarGolde,andNormanNie.2007.“EstimatingSurveyFatigueinTime
UseStudy.”1–59. Minkler,Meredith.n.d.“PromotingHealthyPublicPolicyThroughCommunity-Based
ParticipatoryResearch:TenCaseStudies”policylink.org.RetrievedApril6,2015