Kobo Toolbox
Kobo Toolbox is a free, open-source suite of tools for data collection, particularly useful in challenging environments. It's widely used by humanitarian organizations, researchers, and data scientists who need to collect data in the field, often in areas with limited internet connectivity.
Kobo Toolbox is a comprehensive platform that allows you to:
- Design surveys using a user-friendly web interface
- Collect data using mobile devices (smartphones, tablets) even offline
- Manage and export data in various formats (CSV, Excel, JSON) for analysis
Key Features
- Offline Data Collection: Collect data without internet connection; syncs automatically when connection is restored
- Multiple Question Types: Text, numbers, dates, GPS coordinates, images, audio, video, barcode scanning
- User-Friendly Interface: Drag-and-drop form builder with mobile-optimized data entry
- Data Management: Real-time visualization, data export, validation, and quality checks
- Free and Open Source: No cost for basic features with community support
Video Tutorial
Integration with Data Science
Kobo Toolbox fits seamlessly into the data science pipeline:
Design Survey → Collect Data (Offline) → Export (CSV/Excel) →
Data Cleaning (Python/Pandas) → Analysis → Insights
Example: Loading Kobo Data into Python
import pandas as pd
# Export your data from Kobo Toolbox as CSV
# Then load it into Python for analysis
df = pd.read_csv('kobo_survey_data.csv')
# Explore and analyze
print(df.head())
print(df.info())
print(df.describe())
Resources
- Official Website: kobotoolbox.org
- Documentation: support.kobotoolbox.org
- Community Forum: forum.kobotoolbox.org