Presentation on Mapping Mobile Research. Presented at WebDataNet COST Action meeting in Reykjavik, 17. September 2013. Within COST WebDataNet Action I am leading the Task Force 19 on Mobile Research. In this Mapping Mobile Research presentation I show the status of a joint research done by colleagues (see slides) and me.

1. TF19: MAPPING MOBILE
RESEARCH
FIRST RESULTS
Robert Pinter
University of Corvinus, Department of Information and
Communication
eNet Internet Research and Consulting Ltd.
Webdatanet Meeting, Reykjavik, 17 September 2013

2. MAPPING MOBILE RESEARCH – THE TEAM
 Marika de Bruijne, Robert Pinter, Daniele
Toninelli, Ana Slavec Arnaud Wijnant (in abc-order)
 Team is still open feel free to join!

3. TASK – PLANNED STRUCTURE OF OUR STUDY
Preparing an introductory study of mobile research:
1. Introduction: what is mobile research – Robert
2. Mobile as a challenge for (traditional) research methods:
 Mobile in CATI research – Ana and Daniele
 Mobile as data gathering tool: turning CAPI into MAPI – Robert
 Mobile in online research and in multi-mode research –
Daniele, Marika, Arnaud, Ana
3. Mobile as an independent research tool – Arnaud, Robert
 Mobile surveys (SMS, WAP, web-based, application based)
 Mobile ethnography
 Mobile diary
 Location based mobile research (geo-fencing)
 Mobile passive measurement
4. Conclusion
1-2 pages written summary in each (sub)chapter + highlighting the
most important publications (optional: listing few
institutes, scholars, events, journals from sub-field).

4. APPENDIX OF STUDY
Appendix I.: Key actors in mobile research
 Institutions and scholars
 Companies
 Events
 Journals
Appendix II.: Bibliography of mobile research

5. WORKING METHOD
Looking through articles, publications, conference papers
to identify main topics, discussions and actors in mobile
(in) research.
Of course it may have effect on current structure of our
paper (recent outline of our paper is based on our
hypotheses on how mobile research is structured)

6. FIRST RESULTS

7. WHAT IS MOBILE RESEARCH
Mobile is coming… (it is recently much closer to Inflated
Expectations – before or over the peek?)
Source: Vovici blog, 2011

8. MOBILE IN CATI
More and more people use only mobile phones and cut the
cords.
How does mobile affect the representativeness of
traditional telephone samples?
Further questions:
 Mixed mode? Allowing to choose between methods?
 What are the differences between participation in a
survey by mobile / landline?
 Question of data quality and bias coming from different
characteristics of mobile / landline sample?

9. MOBILE AS DATA GATHERING TOOL: TURNING CAPI
INTO MAPI
Mobile (tablet) as fieldwork tool for data gathering (MAPI
instead of CAPI): mobiles or tablets may be used for data
gathering instead of notebooks (mainly in developing world
e.g. in Africa).

10. MOBILE IN ONLINE RESEARCH AND IN MULTI-MODE
RESEARCH
Rising number of respondents of online surveys come
from mobile environment, which has impact on many
things.
Main areas in this subfield:
 User experience and questionnaire design
 Mobile web as an independent research mode
 Data quality (mobile vs. online), e.g. response
rate, completion time, significant differences in answers
(especially in open ended questions, grid questions)

11. MOBILE AS AN INDEPENDENT RESEARCH TOOL
Is it an own mode or only variations of former ones? Pros-
cons.
Possible sub-modes of mobile research:
 mobile surveys (SMS, WAP, web-based, application
based)
 mobile ethnography
 mobile diary
 location based mobile research (geo-fencing)
 mobile passive measurement

12. DEADLINE
First deadline was Iceland meeting (unfortunately only few
parts are prepared yet).
Mapping task is postponed until end of 2013.

13. FURTHER WORK IN TF19
Work together on different topics (articles?) based on
joint interest, forming small teams (ideally 2-3)
TF meeting on Wednesday, 11.15. in Room Hekla I.

14. THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION!
Robert Pinter
Corvinus University
Department of Information and
Communication
eNet Internet Research and
Consulting Ltd.
Head of Mobile Research
robert.pinter@enet.hu
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