The application is primarily designed for use in psychological research. However, usage data can be collected for any purpose. The usage data collected will only be accessible by others if the user chooses to manually share the encrypted file(s) that contain the collected data and the accompanying password.
Usage Logger 2 collects three types of data: 1) Contextual data, which includes: installed apps, permissions requested by apps and permissions accepted/rejected by participants; 2) Continuous logging data, which can record a number of different behaviours following installation, including: screen on/off events, what apps are used and when, when apps send notifications and when apps are added or removed (installed or uninstalled). 3) Past usage extracts historical data from an internal database maintained by the device prior to installation. This includes data about when the phone screen was activated and what apps were used. Other data is also captured about automated system processes.
Exactly what of the three types of data is collected will depend on the customised QR-Code provided to the user by the researcher. Once the user has scanned the QR-Code they will be informed about what data will be collected from their device.
The data is more secure than the standard Android security protocols. A security key is used to protect the data, this is generated through utilising user generated randomness. This key is then stored in an encrypted file, only accessible to the app. The files associated with the data are protected with a SHA256 bit encryption. IMPORTANT – Android users with rooted phones or who have reason to believe that they have compromised security should not use this application. It is the users responsibility to ensure the integrity of their device's security before installing this application.
The data will only be accessible to researchers when a user sends the encrypted PDF files and accompanying password to them. This is interpreted as giving consent to process the data for the purposes of scientific research. IMPORTANT: Files and passwords should not be sent in the same email.
The user has complete control over who has access to their data. App data is not stored online, so there is no way of accessing the data on a user's phone. Users must export the data files and forward their password to the intended recipient (researcher) in order to provide access to the data.
The collected data is intended to be used by researchers who are attempting to better understand how individual and group movements relate to other scientific phenomena. We strongly discourage anyone not engaging in scientific research from using the app.
If the Usage Logger 2 app is used as part of scientific research, a participant (user) should be informed regarding the nature of the research in line with standard ethical procedures. Similarly, participants should have been informed by researchers directly regarding how sent data will be processed and/or shared. The application will provide notifications on the phone to remind a user that data is being collected. The application provides participants the ability to access their own data. By uninstalling the application, any data collected by the app will be deleted.
The data will be stored on the users phone for as long as the application is installed. The external storage of the data by anyone that the user has shared their data with, is not within our control or our responsibility. As long as the user has not shared the data collected with anyone, all collected data remains on the user's phone only. In this case, the user can simply delete the application from their phone to delete any collected data. If a user wishes to withdraw from a study and have already submitted their data to the researcher, the user will have to contact them directly and request that their data be deleted.
Please contact h.shaw5@lancaster.ac.uk if you have any questions or suggestions regarding the functionality of this application.