Data collection is a key component of social good efforts ranging from polio elimination to rainforest conservation and Open Data Kit (ODK) helps thousands of organizations collect data quickly, accurately, offline, and at scale. Users of ODK software include Red Cross, World Health Organization, Centers for Disease Control, Jane Goodall Institute, Gates Foundation, the Carter Center, and many others.

The ODK ecosystem has several tools that are used to collect data. For GSoC, we will focus on the popular Android form filling client (ODK Collect), the desktop downloader (ODK Briefcase), and a Android-based data collection hub (ODK Services).

Examples of ODK projects are below. Contribute and make the world a better place!

• Hutan Aceh in Indonesia is home to tigers, elephants, orangutans, and rhinos. EIA International and local activists protect it by documenting forest crimes with ODK. The geo-tagged forms, rich with photos, provide the evidence needed to save habitat. Watch video.
• Evaluating global health programs involves collecting, organizing, cleaning, and analyzing data. Population Council, Marie Stopes Uganda, and Gobee Group use ODK to streamline the process. Watch video.
• The Jane Goodall Institute uses ODK to empower local communities to better manage and monitor their forests. ODK lets these communities connect directly with the global carbon marketplace and demonstrate the concrete benefits of their efforts to protect the forest. Watch video.
• The Carter Center uses ODK to get the real-time data needed to assess elections. Over the last six years, ODK has been used to monitor elections in Liberia, Egypt, Libya, Kenya, Nepal, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Mozambique, and Tunisia. Watch video.
• For governments working to end polio, access to accurate and timely information makes a world of difference. ODK is used in Jordan, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Somalia, and South Sudan as a key tool in mass polio vaccination campaign quality control. Watch video.