8.2.3 Correcting data
16-Sept-2022
5 mins
TABLE OF CONTENTS
- Comparison of available options to correct collected data in KoBoToolbox
- “Table” Option
- “Map” Option
Comparison of available options to correct collected data in KoBoToolbox
Correcting collected data in KoBoToolbox rather than in downloaded files can be significantly more efficient. Indeed, once the data has been modified in KoBoToolbox, it will permanently remain so for all upcoming data downloads or API connexions. There are two ways to correct collected data directly on the KoBoToolbox server:
- “Table” option
- “Map” option
You will find below a table containing advantages and disadvantages of each of the options in order to allow you to choose your most suitable one.
| Option | Advantages | Disadvantages |
|---|---|---|
| “Table” option | It works with a form that doesn’t have any GPS coordinates. | It doesn’t work with an Enketo non-compatible form. |
| “Map” option | It works with an Enketo non-compatible form. | It doesn’t work if you do not have GPS coordinates for each one of your data entries. |
“Table” Option
Click on your project, then go to “Data” tab and choose the option “Table”. Table will provide you with all the collected data such as it would appear in your downloaded data in Excel format (one survey, submission or data entry = one row).
Modify a single submission or data entry
Go to the “DATA” tab to access a single data entry, in the first column of the data table, you will see two icon options to either Open or Edit the entry. Click the “EDIT/pen” icon to go directly to edit the submitted data entry in a web form where you can make changes.
The server will open “Enketo” where your form is available for modification. When fully satisfied with your modifications, go to the end of the survey and click on “Submit”.
If you want to delete the data entry, tick it, click on the box that you want and then “Delete” and the server will automatically delete it from your database.
Bulk-editing of multiples submissions
The main idea behind that feature is to facilitate data cleaning across many submissions. To start editing multiple data entries, go to the DATA > Table tab. As you can see in this example, there are already some existing responses that you would want to edit and choose a common response for all the selected submissions.
You can select distinctly each submission or select multiple records simultaneously, and press “EDIT”
The following dialogue box will appear where we can in a first step, select the question that we want to modify.
And after that (screenshot below), you can choose the response by either typing in the search or on “SELECT” link an already existing response.
You will then after these steps, “CONFIRM & CLOSE” the changes that you made.
Go back to the table and verify that the bulk-editing is indeed completed.
Duplicate submissions
This function can be useful if we want to make some changes without altering the original data entry. In this case, we can duplicate the submission we are interested in and work on the new submission. This feature allows you to easily duplicate an existing submission into a new record.
Go to “DATA” tab, then select “Table”
Open the submission that you want by clicking on the “EDIT/eye icon”
The following box will open and you will have to click on “DUPLICATE” in order to duplicate your submission
If you also wish to edit the newly duplicated submission, you can do so by clicking on “EDIT”, just before closing the box
Validation status
Prior or after your modification, you have the possibility to mention the “Validation Status” of each one of your data entries by clicking on “Not Approved”, “Approved” or “On Hold”.
Also, you can filter all your data by a specific choice, number or text from your data entries by typing what you want.
“Map” Option
Click on your project, then go to “DATA” tab and choose the option “Map”. Map will provide you with all the collected data appearing on a map (one survey or data entry = one point). In order to have access to one particular data entry, click on the data entry itself on the map.
The full selected data entry will then appear in front of the map. In order to modify it, click on “EDIT”.
If you want to delete the whole data entry, you can click on the bin and the server will automatically delete it from your map and database.
The server will open “Enketo” where your form is fully available for modification. When fully satisfied with your modifications, go to the end of the survey and click on “Submit”.
