00:00:00 Introduction

Welcome everybody. I'm very happy to share with you a quick training session on our latest feature, collection links. This is something we've been working on for a while, and I'm quite excited because I think it opens up some new possibilities for using ActivityInfo. I am going to introduce the feature, do a couple of demos, and then answer your questions.

We will cover the permissions involved, opening, closing, and reopening links, reference fields within collection links, and reviewer-only fields, as these are interesting features that intersect with collection links.

00:01:16 What are collection links?

Quite simply, a collection link allows you to open a URL or a web link that allows anyone with that link to add a record to your form without logging into ActivityInfo. There are many online survey tools you are likely familiar with, like Google Forms, and this is very similar functionality.

Once submitted, the record cannot be edited; it is only for submitting records. I also want to highlight that collection links require an internet connection to submit. If you want to be able to collect data offline, you should consider our mobile app instead, which does require you to log in.

00:02:36 Designing a form for public collection

Collection links work with normal ActivityInfo forms. Anything you can do with a normal ActivityInfo form, you can do with collection links. I'm going to add a form for a damage report assessment. If you are working in a situation where people have access to the internet, crowdsourcing damage reports via collection links might be a useful strategy.

I will add a reference field for the location using our geodatabase. We will set this in the Netherlands and collect the municipality. We can also add a geographic point for the location. Remember that as you are collecting this data, people are filling this out online, so you don't know who is submitting it unless you ask. You need to add fields for their name and phone number.

I will add a text field for the phone number and use an input mask to ensure the number is entered in the right format. We will add a field for urgency, a field for the type of damage (school, house, small business), a multi-line text field for comments, and an attachment field for photos. This is no different than how you would design any other form in ActivityInfo.

00:07:05 Opening a collection link

We want to collect data from people in the outside world. I'm going to use the "Collection link" button and click on "Open now." That creates a link that includes the form ID but also a secret part. You have to have this specific URL to be able to collect data.

To demonstrate, I will open an incognito window so I am not logged into ActivityInfo. Using this link, I can fill out the form I just designed. I can choose my location, use the GPS location, provide my name and number, and submit the damage details. Once submitted, it is one-way; you cannot go back and change it, but you can add another record. You can spread this link on social media, put it on posters, or make a QR code to allow people to send you data without having an ActivityInfo user account.

00:09:19 User limits and privacy

A common question is whether this counts towards your ActivityInfo user limits. No, it is completely separate. If you are using collection links, it doesn't count towards your user limits. If I go back to my main window and refresh the page, we will see the report that was just submitted. You can switch to the map view and see this data on a map.

For data submitted through a collection link, you will see in the history that it was added via a collection link. If you want to know who submitted it, you have to ask for an email address or name in the form itself. It is up to you whether you want to keep responses anonymous or collect personal information.

If you decide to collect personal data via a collection link, it is no different than collecting personal data through the mobile interface. You must respect the principles and laws of personal data management and privacy. You may need to add a checkbox for consent, agreeing that their name and phone number can be stored and used for emergency response.

00:12:36 Closing and reopening links

You can always access the menu to get the URL. If I close the collection link, anyone who still has that URL will get a message stating, "The collection link has been closed. You cannot enter data into this form."

Something important to note is that if you reopen the link, it uses the same URL. This means that if somebody previously received the link, they can use that link again to enter data. You cannot revoke a specific URL; you can only close or reopen the collection entirely.

00:14:19 Locks and duplicate detection

Locks are enforced on collection links. If you have a date field lock, that allows you to limit the dates for which people are reporting. However, keys are not enforced for collection links. Normally, if I set a field as a key, I can only enter one record for that unique value to prevent duplicates. These rules are not enforced when using collection links because that would allow people with a link to probe the database to see which data has already been entered. Currently, you should be aware that a collection link will allow people to enter duplicates.

Regarding response rates, normally data appears immediately. However, if you have a large volume of submissions—for example, if you share the link on social media and thousands of people respond at once—we start to queue those, and it could take a couple of minutes for all that data to appear.

00:17:20 Permissions for managing links

Not everyone will see the collection link button. In order to use the collection link feature in a specific database, you must have permission from the database owner. In the roles section for the database, there is a "Manage collection links" permission.

Usually, anyone with the administrator role will be able to open and close links. For Read-only or Data entry roles, this permission is generally not checked. If you have a database created before we released this feature, you will need to decide as the database owner which roles to add this permission to. We did not automatically add this permission to existing databases.

00:19:29 Reference fields in collection links

ActivityInfo is a relational database, meaning forms can have relationships to each other using reference fields. When using collection links, this adds a complication. For example, if I create a "Simple 3W" form and add a reference field to the geodatabase for provinces, this is no problem because the geodatabase is public.

However, if I reference a form in my own database—such as a "Partners" form—the person filling out the collection link needs access to the data in that referenced form to see the dropdown options or for relevance rules to work. We decided not to grant this access automatically.

Before you open a collection link that references another form, you must make a decision about the permissions for the referenced form. You need to go to the database settings for the referenced form (e.g., "Partners") and change the permissions to "Public." This means anyone on the internet with the URL can view the form and all of its records. It is important to be aware that if you reference a form, some part of that form is going to be visible to the public. It would not be appropriate to use a reference field to a list of beneficiaries or sensitive data.

00:26:45 Using 'Reviewer only' fields for triage

You can combine collection links with "Reviewer only" fields to create a triage workflow. In my damage report form, I can add a section for triage. I will add a section header and then add fields like "Confirmed?" or "Rejected" and a field for reviewer comments. I will set these fields to "Reviewer only."

When I share the collection link, the public can fill out the form, but the reviewer-only fields will not appear to them. Back at the office, my team can filter the incoming reports by urgency. With the right permissions, they can see the triage section, contact the reporter, confirm the details, and update the record. You can customize roles so that a specific "Triage team" role allows users to edit reviewer-only fields but not add or delete records.

00:32:14 Q&A

Can we capture the IMEI of the device submitting data?

No, that is not possible because the browser on a desktop or mobile does not have access to the IMEI. We also do not currently have an IP field, though that might be something we can add. If you are interested in verifying the source of the data, the mobile app is a better solution. The mobile app requires a login, works offline, and gives you much more control over who is allowed to submit data.

If the data operator made a mistake in the submitted record, can they edit it?

No. Once the person with the link has submitted the record, there is no way for them to edit it afterwards. They would need to have an ActivityInfo account to be able to sign in and have permission to edit an existing record.

Can the link be used to collect attachments like photos and audio?

Yes, you can add attachment fields. If you are using this on a mobile device, it will prompt you to take a photo or record sound. You can then reference this data from other forms. For example, you could link a reconstruction activity form to the initial damage report to track work done.

Can we use this for referrals where partners fill some fields and we fill others?

Yes, this works well with the reviewer-only fields. You can have a form where the public or partners fill out the initial details via the link. Then, you can have a "Reviewer only" reference field to assign a partner or caseworker. Your internal team or a partner with the correct role can then log in, see the records assigned to them, and complete the rest of the process. This allows you to combine information from different sources and manage referrals effectively.

Why do we track the User ID (UID) or IP? Can we block fraud?

We are looking at fraud controls. As this scales up, we will need more controls for blocking. Currently, we are looking at implementing limits to the number of responses by IP address to prevent flooding the form.

Will the mobile app be launched as an application on the app stores?

Yes, we are planning on publishing to the Google Play Store soon. We are finishing up some field tests. It won't be available in the Apple App Store immediately, but it is possible to add it as an app from the web link on iOS right now. You can navigate to the login page on your tablet or mobile phone, and you will be prompted to add it to your home screen.