Truth be told, these questions aren't frequently asked. Hopefully the answers are still helpful.

What is ODK?

Open Data Kit (ODK) is a free and open-source set of tools which help organizations create mobile data collection solutions.

Our blog and deployments page have good examples of what others have used ODK for. Our research page also has videos and slides that explain ODK.

How do I use ODK?

Please read through the documentation on our implementer instructions and on the developer wiki.

If that doesn't help, search the opendatakit@googlegroups.com mailing list (for general questions), and the opendatakit-developers@googlegroups.com (for coding questions) to see if the issue has been answered.

If you don't find an answer after searching, then post your question to the appropriate list.

What kinds of questions do you answer on the mailing list?

Our team only answers questions about the supported tools. We generally do not answer form design questions, and instead refer you to the form design guide. You are more than welcome to post any message -- someone else in the community is likely to help.

An ODK tool isn't working the way I expected. What do I do?

Make sure you are running the latest versions of ODK software. You can find them on the downloads page.

Search the issue tracker to see if the problem you are having has been reported. If you can't find it, report it there.

Please be precise about the tool you are using, the version of the software, and include all the steps you did so we can reproduce the same problem. If you can get a stack trace, please attach it. If the problem is with a form, please attach it as well. If you are new to filing bug reports, read How to Report Bugs Effectively.

If your issue is urgent, we recommend you hire help from one of the ODK implementations companies.

How do I get a stack trace or log after an Android "Force Close"?

Download aLogcat (Android Market, Website) and reproduce the crash. Once the app has crashed, launch aLogcat and save the log to the phone (or email it to yourself). When you file an issue, attach the stack trace.

If you have the Android SDK installed, you can also use adb logcat or DDMS.

How do I request a new feature or enhancement?

Search the issue tracker to see if the feature you want has been suggested. If you find it, vote on it by adding a star -- the more stars a feature gets, the more likely it is to get created. If you don't find it, file a feature request describing the scenario which you need the feature for.

How do I customize or implement an ODK solution?

The core team does not provide code or implementation support beyond what is described on our implementer site and on the developer site. If you need more support, hire help from one of the ODK implementations companies.

Are there other data collection systems I should consider?

Of course! There are many other data collection systems that might work better for you. Some of them are use ODK in some way (FormHub, EpiSurveyor, DoForms, Group Complete, KoBo Toolbox, ViewWorld, PhiCollect) while others are ODK compatible (JavaRosa, OpenXData, RapidSMS).

There are also great systems that were designed more for SMS (FrontlineSMS, Ushahidi) systems that work on iOS (iFormBuilder), even systems that work on Palm Pilots and Windows Mobile (Pendragon Forms, CyberTracker) and Nokias (Nokia Data Gathering).

If you want to find out more, MobileActive is a great place to learn more about data collection. Mobile Data Collection Tools - Comparison Matrix and Mobile-Phone-Based Data Collection Systems Comparison Table, and Mobile and Web Technologies for Social and Economic Development report, and Comparing Mobile Solutions for GIS Data Collection and Display are also good resources.

We also have peer-reviewed research and user stories that describe the situations where ODK is likely to be easier to use, less error-prone, more cost-effective and more timely when compared to other data collection systems.

Should I email members of the ODK team directly?

Probably not. If you have a private question you cannot post to the list, please send it to contact@opendatakit.org.

What Android phone/tablet/device should I use?

The Android ecosystem changes too rapidly to recommend one device. In general, we recommend you get devices that you can source in country and run the latest Android OS (even though we support Android OS 1.6+ and greater). ODK Collect will run on most Android form factors (including tablets and netbooks).

We recommend you spend a little more to get a higher quality device, instead of buying the cheapest phone. If you need a supplier, try amazon.com, newegg.com, ebay.com, n1wireless.com, expansys-usa.com, and negrielectronics.com.

For a list of all Android devices, try wikipedia.org, gsmarena.com, and phonescoop.com.

Why are my messages on the list being delayed?

If you are a first time poster (or are not subscribed) to the lists, your emails are moderated. This process can take a few hours, so no need to send multiple messages.

Do you support XForms?

Not exactly. We support the OpenROSA 1.0 subset of XForms described at https://bitbucket.org/javarosa/javarosa/wiki/xform-jr-compat.

Do you have an API?

Yes. We support the OpenROSA 1.0 APIs described at https://bitbucket.org/javarosa/javarosa/wiki/OpenRosaAPI.