Smart phone and mobile device Applications (Apps) as an alternative method for data collection in field research

Some would say that mobile phones have gone from being a luxury item to a necessary tool for daily living. Regardless of make or model, mobile devices and smart phones have connected people within and between first, second and third worlds and continually evolve and expand their utility. The versatility and functionality of mobile phones seem to have multiplied logo-rhythmically over the last few years with the implementation of Applications (Apps) installed on most phones. Apps have made our phones Smarter and a more versatile tool for research as a growing percentage of our world population are interacting and sharing through and because of them.;Apps have the potential to expand the kind of research we can conduct while improving the quality of data we collect while reducing cost. It may be time to explore the utilization of these applications on the phones of the participants we intend to follow.