eThesis - School of Business electronic theses

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Acknowledging the paramount importance of information quality in the modern data-driven society and the prevalence of mobile devices, this thesis assesses the effect the use of mobile devices in human-mediated information collection has on information quality. More specifically, the thesis delves into a specific use of mobile devices as information collection devices in environments of high mobility, which do not permit use of less compact and accessory dependent computer technology.

The implications of mobile device use in information collection are two-fold; on one hand the devices' radical mobility could enable supported information collection directly at the source, potentially improving information quality, but on the other hand the small screen with cumbersome text input via on-screen keyboard could entail a number of unintended errors as well as narrower range of recorded information.

The thesis assesses two sets of patient notes from a Finnish residential elderly care facility, one produced solely with desktop computers and the other with desktop computers and mobile devices in parallel. On the intrinsic information quality dimensions of accuracy, completeness, timeliness, and consistency, the complementary use of mobile device results in enhanced information quality; particularly the completeness and timeliness of information show significant improvement. Additionally, anticipated difficulties in data input with mobile devices do not seem to have any remarkable effects on the produced information.