Utilizing Forms to Digitize the Data for PAWS

Abstract

Pontotoc Animal Welfare Society (PAWS), located in Ada Oklahoma, still collects paper-based data for their daily operations. With a PetSmart Charities grant and support from the McNair Scholars Program at East Central University, we were able to obtain electronic data collection equipment and develop specialized forms for data entry utilizing KoboToolBox. Creating a working and efficient electronic form is vital in making this a viable method for data transfer and entry for PAWS, other humane societies, and small businesses. For non-profit organizations and small businesses, it is crucial to minimize the operating costs. KoboToolBox is free to use for research and humanitarian reasons, making it the perfect choice for this project. In the future, FormHub will be considered for small business and other types of organizations. FormHub will be used much like KoboToolBox but is open source and can be implemented by the organization. We plan to analyze possible database methods. This includes Access and Open Office to build a specialized database to fit the needs of PAWS. The new databases will allow the employees at PAWS to manipulate the data, make simple print outs for the adopters, and keep it updated to provide better adoption rates.