Using mobile devices to understand spending

The development of mobile technology has brought with it some exciting opportunities for those interested in collecting data from households about their finances. Researchers based at the University of Essex who run the UK Household Longitudinal Study have been working to gain a better understanding of household finances through better measurement. In this episode of the Methods Podcast, Professor Annette Jäckle talks about the opportunities and challenges that mobile technology brings researchers involved in the collection and use of household survey data. She also outlines an experiment that she and colleagues have been running in which survey participants were asked to download and use an app on a phone or tablet to collect and record information about their household spending.