About this survey
Researchers from the University of British Columbia in partnership with Environment and Climate Change Canada are conducting this study to better understand travel patterns in the Okanagan and Metro Vancouver region. The findings will assist in transportation planning and infrastructure investment decisions to reduce traffic congestion and GHG emissions. If you have any questions or need further details, please contact the principal investigator of this research project, Dr. Mahmudur Fatmi, or the lead of the app development research team, Dr. Khalad Hasan, at uitr.lab@ubc.ca.
Eligibility
Please note that, to participate in the smartphone-based survey, the household member must be 18+ years old, who are equipped with smartphones with iOS operating system (e.g., iPhone), be physically in their region of residence, have received the access code, have a smartphone app that can install the tracking app, give all the permissions necessary for the app to completely run, not be staying overnight outside the area of residence, and agree to the terms described in this consent form.
Only one household member is allowed to participate in the smartphone app data collection. YOU MUST BE PHYSICALLY IN THE REGION WHERE YOU RESIDE, WHICH SHOULD BE IN METRO VANCOUVER OR OKANAGAN REGIONS.
It is recommended to start the smartphone-based survey within 2 days of the web-based survey completion. However, you will be able to start the smartphone-based survey up to December 16th to be able to finalize the 7 days of data collection by December 22nd.
Data Collection
We will collect information about your travel/trip and app usage for the next seven days. The app will automatically record travel-related details and app usage information on your device. Participants are required to review and confirm specific details within the app daily, including the locations of travel, travel modes and travel purposes, among others. Please note that, while the app will track what apps you are using, it will not have access to the activities you are doing in the app. For example, the app will have access to the times you accessed the Google Chrome app, but it will not know what websites you accessed.
Incentives
The smartphone-based incentives will be done as follows:
Participants who fully complete the 7-day period using the app will get a $25 gift card.
Participants who fully complete 4 to 6 days will get a $15 gift card.
Participants who only complete up to 3 days will not be eligible for any honoraria.
A maximum of around 120 and 80 respondents for Metro Vancouver and Okanagan regions respectively, will be allowed to access the smart phone app survey.
Requirements:
– Complete the web-based survey.
– Install the app in your personal smartphone and complete the geo-positioning tracking data collection.
– Agree to this consent form.
Please note that in order to receive the incentive you must complete the survey and be physically in the region where you reside during the data collection, which should be in Metro Vancouver or Okanagan regions. Please note you need to add your e-mail to receive the gift card.
Privacy and Confidentiality
Your privacy is our priority. All raw data collected will be stored on a secure UBC server in Canada and any potential identifying information will be coded and removed early on. Data coding is the process of converting data into a form that can be analyzed. It involves assigning numerical or categorical codes to data items, such as responses to survey questions or demographic information. The detailed data will be used solely for research purposes and by approved UBC researchers adhering to strict confidentiality agreements. Aggregated and coded data may be shared publicly for future research and planning purposes, but cannot be traced back to you. You may withdraw from the study within two weeks of completing the survey, at which point your data will be destroyed and not included in the analysis. If you wish to withdraw, send an e-mail to uitr.lab@ubc.ca.
Data Privacy & Consent
Data Collection
To gain insights into your travel and related activities, and their pattern over time, we will collect data continuously for seven days. At the beginning, the app will ask permission to access **location, app usage, and activity recognition data** on your device. Location Service allows the app to gather information based on the current location of your phone to understand your travel patterns. We collect physical activity data from the user’s device to best predict the transportation mode that is being used. However, at the end of each day, the app will still ask the user to confirm the modes. Please note that the app will automatically submit information to the UBC server at the end of the day, even if the participant doesn’t review the summary.
In addition to gathering your geolocation data of your travels throughout the day, we collect your usage data of the apps you use. We will collect the app names and time stamps in your app usage data when available.
To accurately record all your trips throughout the day, the app will continuously monitor your activity in the background. In addition to requiring your location permission, the survey app may ask for additional permission such as background location tracking depending on the software version of your device. Background location tracking allows the survey app to gather your location information while your screen is turned off. At the end of the day, the survey app will generate a complete view of your daily activities. Your data is securely stored in the app upon submission and will not be shared in real-time or sent to other third parties.
We aim to minimize data collection and only collect data that is essential to understanding your travel pattern. Before entering the survey, you will be reminded to consent to such data collection and the use of your data. You can also check back to visit the privacy policy and terms at any time by tapping **Settings > User Agreements**.
Data Analysis, Sharing and Authorization
The raw data will be kept confidential and in a UBC server in Canada protected by password which mitigates any risk of data breach. Any potential identifying information will be stripped from the dataset early on. This detailed data will be used solely for research purposes by approved UBC researchers adhering to strict confidentiality agreements. An aggregated and coded version of the data will be made available to the public to assist in future research, planning and policymaking. Your responses will be combined with other responses in your area and cannot be traced back to you or any of your household members. The data will be retained for an undetermined time for historical analysis and comparison purposes.
User Consent and Control
By using the app, you grant us consent to collect and use your data as described in this Privacy Policy. You have control over the data that you provide while using the app. You can always see the data that you have provided to us in the app. You will also have the possibility to request that your data be deleted. You can withdraw your consent and request the deletion of your data by contacting us at uitr.lab@ubc.ca within two weeks of completion.
Changes to this Privacy Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of any changes by email or in the form of push notifications in some cases. You can always check back to this page to see the updated information. An updated date will be shown below whenever we update the agreements periodically.
We encourage you to frequently check this page for any changes. Please review this Privacy Policy carefully and contact us if you have any questions or concerns.
Contact for Complaints
If you have any concerns or complaints about your rights as a research participant and/or your experiences while participating in this study, contact the Research Participant Complaint Line in the UBC Office of Research Ethics toll-free at 1-877-822-8598 or the UBC Okanagan Research Services Office at 250-807-8832. It is also possible to contact the Research Complaint Line by email (RSIL@ors.ubc.ca). Please have the study number (H23-01932) handy so that the person can better help you.