COURSE TITLE: Digital Data Collection and Management

Course Code: RMEL 202
Credit Value: 3 Credits

Contact Hours

• Lectures: 2 hours/week

• Practical / Computer Laboratory: 2 hours/week

Duration: 15 Weeks (One Semester)
Prerequisite: RMEL 201 – Research, Monitoring and Evaluation Systems

1. Course Description

This course develops students' competencies in designing, implementing, managing, and securing digital data collection systems for research, monitoring and evaluation, market research, public administration, environmental studies, health, business, and social science applications. Students learn modern digital approaches to survey design, mobile data collection, electronic form development, data validation, quality assurance, and database management using widely adopted data collection platforms.

The course emphasises practical skills in developing digital questionnaires, deploying mobile and web-based surveys, collecting field data, managing datasets, and preparing data for statistical analysis. Students gain hands-on experience with industry-standard digital data collection tools and learn best practices for data integrity, security, confidentiality, and ethical management throughout the data lifecycle.

Practical laboratory sessions enable students to design real-world digital surveys, deploy field-ready data collection systems, monitor submissions, manage databases, clean datasets, and prepare data for advanced statistical analysis using SPSS and other analytical tools.

The course prepares students for professional roles involving research, monitoring and evaluation, humanitarian response, government surveys, market research, environmental monitoring, and organisational performance assessment.

2. Course Objectives

By the end of this course, students should be able to:

1. Explain principles and best practices of digital data collection and management.

2. Design structured digital questionnaires for research and monitoring activities.

3. Develop mobile and web-based data collection forms using industry-standard platforms.

4. Apply data validation and quality assurance techniques during data collection.

5. Manage digital datasets throughout the data lifecycle.

6. Apply ethical, legal, and security principles in digital data management.

7. Prepare datasets for statistical analysis and reporting.

8. Develop a complete digital data collection project for a real-world programme or research study.

3. Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion, students will be able to:

• Design professional digital questionnaires for research and programme monitoring.

• Deploy mobile and online data collection systems.

• Configure validation rules to improve data quality.

• Manage and monitor digital data collection activities.

• Clean, code, organise, and export datasets for analysis.

• Apply data protection, confidentiality, and ethical standards.

• Produce well-structured datasets ready for analysis using SPSS.

• Demonstrate proficiency in digital field data collection workflows.