Frequent Asked Questions

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Who can participate in the study?

Anyone who is older than 18 years of older, live in Minnesota, and has a smartphone with a data plan is eligible to participate.

How do I sign up?

You can sign up using this link or go to our homepage at gts.umn.edu and click the Enroll Here button.

What will I be asked to do?

a.    You will be asked to follow this link to the enrollment survey and consent to participate in the study.

b.    Download and install the Daynamica smartphone app from the App Store (iOS) or Google Play (Android). The app is free of charge. You will receive more information about using Daynamica after enrollment.

c.    Collect 14 days of data with Daynamica. For each day, use the app to confirm or edit recorded trips and activities and answer a few questions about each of them (e.g. trip purpose, travel mode). This process usually takes about 10-20 minutes for each day.

d.    Respond to a short exit survey at the end of the study period. The survey will be given after you complete 14 days of data collection.

What constitutes a day of data?

For a day of data collection to be counted towards the 14-day total, the data must meet the following criteria:

a.    At least 20 hours of the data must be confirmed/edited

b.    80% of the contextual questions about each activity/trip must be answered

c.    The end of day survey must be filled up

Will I get paid to participate?

Each study participant will receive a $40 Amazon electronic gift card by email for completing data collection.

Can I participate multiple times?

We respect your contributions. However, each person can only participate once, so that we could have a valid sample for analysis.

How long is the study?

The Gender & Travel Study is anticipated to end February 28th, 2023, and the data collection is expected to end on March 31st, 2022. Participants will collect 14 days of data that meet the quality criteria listed above.

Can I keep using Daynamica after the study period?

After you complete the 14-day data collection, you can keep using Daynamica app till the end of the study period with no cost. You will not be able to use the app after the study ends.

What information will be collected during the study?

a.    The University will collect data from the enrollment and exit survey as well as from Daynamica.

 

b.    The Daynamica app will use various location-sensing technologies embedded in a smartphone to determine the real-time location of the phone. Based on such location information, the app then will determine whether you are in an activity or a trip and records your activity location or trip trajectory. Trip and activity data will include type, duration, and in-app survey responses about each event.

Can I pause data collection?

If at any time you would like to pause location data collection with Daynamica, you may turn off this function in the Settings menu within the Daynamica app. Please note that disabling the collection of location data may affect your completion of 14 days data entry and your eligibility for receiving $40 Amazon gift card (as specified in the Consent Form). Daynamica would also stop collecting information if you uninstall the app from your phone. Please note that once you uninstall the app, your account will be reset and you will need to contact us again to reactivate your account.

Will my location data be shared?

Location data will only be shared with the University of Minnesota researchers. The nature of this sharing will be governed by the terms of the research study Consent Form. For information about the Daynamica app’s Privacy Policy, see daynamica.com/privacy-policy/.

What if I want to drop out of the study?

You can leave the study at any time with no cost. To stop participating, you just need to uninstall the Daynamica app from your smartphone. It is preferred that you inform the study manager Yaxuan Zhang at [email protected] if you choose to stop participating. Please note that you will not receive a $40 gift card if you drop out (as specified in the Consent Form).

For other specific questions about the study, please contact our project manager Yaxuan Zhang at [email protected]