As the above analyses show, the potential for a mobile ethnography application such as Bounty is enormous. The amount of detailed, real-time data that it can collect allows for incredibly in-depth reporting. It is, however, not without its limitations.

Working with data always has its challenges, and mobile ethnography is not unlike any other methodology. The research team quickly identified holes in the data output that made it challenging to sort, organize and analyze some of the information. Overcoming this challenge requires creativity and preparedness to work with incomplete data; but the openness to take what you can get and digging deep enough through the information can result in some very insightful stories.

The open-ended text response interface allowed for some extremely robust responses, but also presented some contextual challenges. Working with text in itself can be tricky, especially with a methodology that is seeking responses from participants in a very organic manner; in our case, it was in-the-moment, while they were immersed in the game. As researchers, it’s useful to be aware of the context and be mindful when deciphering/coding text responses.

Despite the minor technical limitations identified, our overall assessment of the technology is extremely positive. It is important to keep in mind that when working with new apps, there is no one perfect solution, since apps like Bounty are relatively new and being utilized for a variety of purposes. As these apps continue to optimize the efficiency of their design and structure for more specific applications and the technology keeps evolving, the perspective of the researcher will also have to evolve along with it.

About Twentify

Twentify enables companies to mobilize an engaged crowd of smartphone users to collect field data and capture experiences; driving valuable insights and empowering better business decisions.   Their platform, Bounty, coupled with the power of crowdsourcing and smartphone technologies delivers accurate, in-the-moment results, quickly and cost effectively, every time.

For more information on Twentify, contact andrew.fraser@twentify.com.