What is GESIS AppKit?
The GESIS AppKit offers a comprehensive data collection infrastructure for smartphone survey and sensor data. It includes an interactive dashboard for study design and participant management as well as an app for Android and iOS devices for surveying study participants.
Researchers can use the GESIS AppKit to create mobile surveys with complex, time-based schedules. The GESIS AppKit enables the implementation of intensive longitudinal studies in the sense of Ambulatory Assessment, Experience Sampling or Ecological Momentary Assessments.
In the future (from 2025), we will integrate sensor data such as GPS positions and smartphone usage into the GESIS AppKit so that surveys can be triggered event-based, depending on actual behavior.
A tool by researchers for researchers: The GESIS AppKit was designed by social scientists and implemented by professional software developers. We maintain close contact with the community through regular expert and user workshops, our own research and participating in conferences.
As simple as an online questionnaire tool: Creating the studies and collecting data via the app requires no programming skills. All functions of the GESIS AppKit are clearly documented, and we offer scripts for (pre-)processing the collected data.
Full control over data and sample: The GESIS AppKit enables researchers to collect their own data in self-selected samples in compliance with data protection regulations. Maintain complete control over your data and the structure of your sample at all times.
How does the Research Software work?
Features and Functionalities
Webinterface for researchers
Project settings
Layout: Select user-specific project color and study logo
In-app texts: Customize welcome and instruction messages
Data protection: Store information in accordance with the GDPR
Publication: Define active data collection periods
Participation
Login: Create generic or personalized codes
Grouping: Assign participants to groups
Monitoring: Monitor the status and activity of participants
Surveys
Survey questions: Create and combine Likert scales, single and multiple choice as well as free text items
Schedules: Send questionnaires now, after initial login or at fixed times
Burst designs: Repeated sending out of surveys at random times
Overview: Keep an eye on planned and sent questionnaires
Data
Export: View responses and save as .csv
Analysis: Access scripts for pre-processing longitudinal data
App for study participants
Installing the app
Operating system: Android and iOS versions available
Download: Conveniently via Google Playstore or Apple's AppStore
Settings: Allow the app to send notifications
Use the app
Login: Participants enter a study-specific code and are assigned to a project
Inbox: Sent questionnaires are available for completion in the inbox
Notifications: Participants are actively informed about new questionnaires
Information: Data protection information is permanently available via the menu
Sicherheit
Entwicklung: Technologien und Praktiken gemäß aktuellem Stand der Technik
Wartung: Funktionsfähigkeit der App wird kontinuierlich überprüft und sichergestellt
Verschlüsselung: Daten werden auf GESIS Servern gespeichert und verschlüsselt übertragen
Zugriff: Forschende haben alleinigen Zugriff auf die Daten
Terms of Use and Pricing
The GESIS AppKit is an institutional infrastructure offering for non-commercial research that contributes to making smartphone-based surveys transparent and reproducible. In contrast to temporarily funded (research) projects, the GESIS AppKit is maintained, adapted and expanded in cooperation with professional software developers over the long term.
The basic features of the GESIS AppKit are free of charge for non-commercial scientific research. Additional GESIS services such as individual consulting, third-party data processing, storage space or archiving are offered to the community at cost price.
Do you have further ideas and requirements? The GESIS AppKit can be extended according to your specific research needs (fee-based service, also in the context of research cooperations). This ensures that research budgets are used efficiently and for the benefit of the entire research community.
Collaborations
The GESIS AppKit is being developed by GESIS - Leibniz Institute for Social Sciences, in collaboration with the Universities of Zurich and Bern.
Dr. Sabrina Stöckli
Department of Business Administration
Chair of Marketing
University of Zürich
Faculty of Business, Economics & Social Sciences
Department of Consumer Behavior
University of Bern
Do you have specific requirements in your research project that could be realized by a customized version of the GESIS AppKit? The GESIS AppKit can be extended in collaboration (as a paid service). If you would like to collaborate or have any questions about this option, please do not hesitate to contact us.
GESIS AppKit Team
GESIS AppKit Team
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The GESIS AppKit is currently under development.
If you have any questions, feedback or are interested in working with us, please send us an E-Mail.
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