It seems that every few days, an announcement brings forth a new use for Apple’s ResearchKit. My first reaction was one of excitement, mixed with horror. The excitement stemmed from the fact that we are heading in a direction where the survey question may not always be the best way to get the data you need. Platforms like ResearchKit provide easier access to such tools. The horror followed the trajectory of the do-it-yourself surveys that exploded when easy to use web survey systems made it possible for anyone anywhere to conduct a survey. Would this increase the poorly designed studies that happen when those who are not trained in research methods attempt to conduct research?
Only time will tell – and until then, I choose to remain on the excited side of my initial reaction. I can’t imagine a more exciting time!
The science is evolving, and evidence is being gathered on the best methodologies for using the new tools provided by mobile devices. In recent experiments, we have begun to understand the best practices for consenting to capture and capturing geolocation data. But the field is largely untested – for years to come the technologies that are emerging today will be used, largely without much consideration for data quality, until slowly the field gets a handle on the error sources and costs involved.
Devices to capture blood pressure, blood oxygen levels, pulse rates, mobility, and sleep patterns are already on millions of wrists and belts.
Will the capture of DNA in ResearchKit studies truly integrate genetic and social data collection into one?
Will fertility studies have a new tool with the newly announced iSperm? Just a year ago, had the iSperm article been posted on April 1, it would have been considered a beautiful prank – but today this is a real tool that is being used by farmers to evaluate non-human (boar) sperm.
Hold on to your mobile devices – this is far from over.