We are looking to update/improve our field data collection apps and are wondering what other sites are using in the field to collect data across multiple field crews and projects. We have older apps created in File Maker but they are showing their age and the license is cumbersome. Others with NEON background like Fulcrum…any other good options, possibly open source.
CAP uses KoboToolbox. It is form based, same as Fulcrum, so is constrained to a linear workflow but we have been very happy with it and it sure beats programming a native iOS or Android application. Note that Kobo uses ODK under the hood, which is another option, but we like Kobo because they have a free-tier hosting option that covers most of our needs.
Since boats, salt water, and electronics don’t go well together we have not made extensive use of data collection apps. However, for some terrestrial applications I’ve used ESRI Survey-1-2-3 (https://survey123.arcgis.com/). Assuming you have an ArcGIS license, it is easy to set up and has good features to support non-geographic data, as well as spatial data.
-John Porter
Coincidentally, I just had a chat with someone at outway.io–a company that got its start through NSF I-corps funding and is working to connect land managers with many relevant data sources. They have a pretty slick app for entering, communicating and connecting data. Looks like we might have a nice idea for a VWC shaping up…