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KoBoToolbox Instructions

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KoBoToolbox Instructions

In this guide, you will find an explanation of the of the online data collection tool KoBoToobox used for data curation for the Microbe Directory 2.0. Please log into the following link

https://kf.kobotoolbox.org⁠

(Researchers, Aid Workers & Everyone Else)

Please go through the instructions and frequently asked questions.

Table of Contents:

I.

Logging In⁠

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II.

Accessing the form⁠

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III.

Questions⁠

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IV.

Submitting the data⁠

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V.

Following submission of data⁠

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VI.

Frequently asked questions⁠

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VII.

Example: E. coli⁠

Logging In

Use the link (

https://www.kobotoolbox.org⁠

) to access KoBoToolbox on a computer. It is supported by most browsers. Click

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in order to find the login.

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Once you proceed. Click login under Researchers, Aid Workers & Everyone Else to find the login page.

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Do not create an account. A login username and password will be provided to you to access the form.

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Once at the following page. Use the username and password provided to you in order to login KoBoToolbox. If you have problems logging in, please contact

themicrobedirectory@gmail.com⁠

with the headline, "LOGIN PROBLEM – Full Name"

Do not use any other volunteers’ username and password to login. We will use your username to track your entries and your progress.

Accessing the form

Once you log in you will be able to see the form, labeled “The Microbe Directory: Data Entry Form” This should under Deployed.

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Screen Shot 2020-03-04 at 3.22.01 PM.png

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Click the form and you will see the screen below. In order to start a ‘submission’ you need to click OPEN. You will then be able to start entering data for one microbe. Please note, each submission will contribute to only one microbe

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Screen Shot 2020-03-04 at 3.22.33 PM.png

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You will then be able to start an entry for a single microbe in the form. You will see the form below. The title of the form will differ depending on when you will be submitting microbes.

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Questions in the KoBoToolbox form

Once you are ready to submit data, you will have to answer a set of 10 – 15 questions depending on the type of microbe.

The form itself will take approximately 20 – 30 min to complete and submit. It is recommended that you have the data prepared to enter prior to accessing the form.

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Screen Shot 2020-03-04 at 3.21.01 PM.png

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Starting Questions:

These questions will determine the path of questions for your microbe. For detail definition of microbial questions please refer to Kobo definitions.

Scientific Name

Scientific names will be provided to you. Please copy and paste the exact name of the microbe into the text box. It should be formatted ‘genus species’. Do not use abbreviations.

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Specify Domain

Specify the domain to which the microbe belongs to.

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Submitting the data

Once you have answered every question applicable to your microbe. You will be able to submit your form. You can do that by clicking the

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button.

Note: You must have access to the internet to submit the form.

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All of your entries will be saved on our online server where we will be able to see all your entries and data. Once you submit your data, you will NOT be able to edit or amend any of your answers. If you made an error, please notify us immediately through

themicrobedirectory@gmail.com⁠

with the headline ‘INCORRECT SUBMISSION – FullName’

Error

If you submit a form, and you see the following alert:

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Go to the questions highlighted in red and correct the error. Most error’s will be likely due to not answering any required questions. These questions will have an asterisk * on the upper left-hand of the question.

Drafts

If you do not have internet access, you can still work on the form. After entering data you can click ‘Save as Draft’ and click Submit. By doing this, your data will be stored until you have acces to the internet.

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The form works offline and will be submitted once you access the internet. In order to see how many entries, you have saved as a draft. You can click the button in the upper left-hand corner of your browser, as seen here:

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If there is a ‘0’ under the orange square, you have no entries saved as a draft. If you have a green check mark, you have access to the internet and can submit drafts to the online database.

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If you click the orange box it will lead you to a page off to the side, where you can see your records (submissions) in queue.

Following the submission of data

Once you submit your data you record will be queued for submission and then submitted to the online server. You will see a new empty form in front of you after submitting your data. You can then proceed to completing the data for another microbe.

You will be assigned 10 microbes per week. If you complete your microbes before the week is done, you will need to wait for your next assignment. If you are unable to complete your microbes by the due date, reach out to

themicrobedirectory@gmail.com⁠

at least 2 days prior to the due date.

Frequently Asked Questions

KoBoToolbox keeps telling me my username and password is incorrect, although I am entering it correctly. What should I do?

First check that you are logging in on the

https://kf.kobotoolbox.org/⁠

link that refers to Researchers, Aid Workers & Everyone Else and not Humanitarian Groups. If you are using the correct link and still cannot log in please email

themicrobedirectory@gmail.com⁠

with your KoBoToolbox username with this issue.

2. I cannot see any form when I go to the main KoBoToolbox page, what should I do?

Please email

themicrobedirectory@gmail.com⁠

with your KoBoToolbox username with this issue. This means the that your user has not been given access to the form.

3. I submitted my data, how do I tell if my data was uploaded correctly?

Once you submit data to KoBoToolbox you will be given access to a tab called ‘Data’ where you can see and even download your submissions.

4. I made a mistake and I didn't realize until I submitted my data, can I edit the entry?

Once you submit an entry, you will not be able to edit the submission. You can do one of two options:

A. Resubmit the entry with the correct information and email

themicrobedirectory@gmail.com⁠

with the scientific name, date and id of the incorrect entry. We will delete the entry for you.

B. Email

themicrobedirectory@gmail.com⁠

with the scientific name, date and id of the incorrect entry and let us know which question you wish to edit. We will edit the entry for you.

5. I saved all my entries as drafts and now they are all gone, what should I do?

Please check you ‘Data’ tab to see if the entries have been submitted. If not, see if you are using the same browser you saved the drafts on.

If you still have an issue, please email

themicrobedirectory@gmail.com⁠

as soon as possible. Our recommendation is that if you choose to use drafts, to submit your drafts as soon as you are able.

KoBoToolbox submission Example

Here is an example in how to submit data. We will annotate Escherichia coli which belong to Bacteria domain.

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Screen Shot 2020-03-04 at 3.32.21 PM.png

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A list of Bacteria characteristics that need to be annotated will be displayed. We will use the links available in Useful links to answer the questions.

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Screen Shot 2020-03-04 at 3.58.21 PM.png

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Screen Shot 2020-03-04 at 4.02.07 PM.png

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Screen Shot 2020-03-04 at 4.03.39 PM.png

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Screen Shot 2020-03-04 at 4.12.08 PM.png

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Once you have finish all questions, please add citations into the empty box:

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Screen Shot 2020-03-04 at 4.14.04 PM.png

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Finally make sure you click Submit and you have succesfully upload data.

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If you have any specific questions regarding KoBoToolbox or the form itself please email Krista Ryon (krr4004@med.cornell.edu)

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