Advantages | |
---|---|
 | No papers (recruitment script, verbal consent form) or pens needed, just the handheld device |
 | No missing data in the handheld devices, while missing and sometimes unintelligible data on the paper-based option |
 | Data easily downloaded from device and automatically loaded into Excel spreadsheet |
 | Clear audit trail of which interviewer administered the protocol and timing of administration |
 | More usable in inclement weather (using a suitable covering) than paper-based recording system |
 | Enhanced security features relative to paper data-collection forms (data confidentiality protection) |
 | Electronic data requires less physical space to store than signed consent or data forms |
 | Devices are easy to program with web-interface, especially for multiple, simultaneous interview scripts |
 | No-data entry costs (versus paper-option) |
 | Construction workers may be interested and willing to complete the interviews themselves using the handheld devices |
Disadvantages | |
 | Devices must be powered overnight prior to field data collection |
 | Keyboard initially cumbersome for some interviewers |
 | Periodic reviews for residual data remaining on devices and for proper data transmission |
 | Potential loss of data due to device malfunction |
 | Lack of acceptance by some researchers |
 | Initial cost of each handheld device may be moderately high |