How to Build a Field Data Collection Form for Research Teams

Collect research data accurately

In this guide, you’ll build a Field Data Collection Form designed for researchers who need to capture observations, samples, or survey data directly in the field.
You’ll use smart logic, geolocation fields, and dashboards to centralize insights for your entire research team.

📘 Learn more: Create your first form, app, or portal in a flash

Step 1: create your field data collection form

Start from your workspace and click + New → Form, or select Environmental Quality Assessment (EQA) template from the gallery.
You can also use Magic Create, try this prompt:

“Field data collection form for researchers with GPS location, media uploads, and offline access.”

Add core fields like:

• Researcher name (prefilled from login, if available)
  
  
• Research project or location name
  
  
• Date and time of observation (auto-filled)
  
  
• GPS coordinates (Location field)
  
  
• Sample or observation ID
  
  
• Data type (Survey / Sample / Observation / Other)
  
  
• Description or notes (Long text)
  
  
• Upload image or video evidence
  
  
• Status (New / Validated / Rejected)
  
  

📘 Learn more: How to create a form
📘 Learn more: Form editor and field types

‍

Step 2: Organize fields by category

Add section dividers or pages to structure your form:
1️⃣ General information
2️⃣ Environmental or contextual details
3️⃣ Sample or observation data
4️⃣ Upload evidence

💡 This helps researchers navigate easily on mobile devices and ensures consistent entries.

📘 Learn more: How to add a new page to single step classic form

Step 3: Add logic for specialized data inputs

Use Show/Hide logic to display fields relevant to specific data types.

Examples:

• If @data_type = “Sample” → show “Sample weight” and “Preservation method.”
  
  
• If @data_type = “Survey” → show “Respondent age” and “Gender.”
  
  
• If @data_type = “Observation” → show “Weather conditions” and “Species observed.”
  
  

📘 Learn more: How to add basic conditional logic

Step 4: Automate data labeling and scoring

Add Variable fields to automatically assign unique record IDs or calculate derived metrics.

Examples:

• Temperature difference: @air_temp - @water_temp
  
  

📘 Learn more: What are variables, why and how to use them

Step 5: Set up notifications and quality control

Use On submit logic to alert supervisors when new data entries are added or flagged.

Examples:

• If @status = “New” → send email to research.manager@lab.org
  
  
• If @data_type = “Sample” → notify quality.control@lab.org
  
  

📘 Learn more: What is on submit logic and how it works

Step 6: Add review fields for supervisors

Add fields(admin-only) for:

• Reviewer name (auto-filled from login)
  
  
• Review notes
  
  
• Validation status (Approved / Needs correction / Rejected)
  
  
• Feedback for researcher
  
  

📘 Learn more: How to lookup the submitted data of another form

‍

Step 8: Visualize results with dashboards

Go to Results → Dashboard to create visual summaries of collected data.
Add:

• Table view: All records with status and researcher name
  
  
• Kanban board: Group submissions by validation stage
  
  
• Map chart: Plot GPS coordinates of collected data
  
  
• Bar chart: Observations by type or region
  
  

📘 Learn more: How to create a Kanban board
📘 Learn more: How to showcase charts based on form responses

Step 9: Build a research data portal

Turn your setup into a Research Data Portal App for centralized collaboration.
Add pages such as:

• Submit field data — main form
  
  
• Review data — supervisor form
  
  
• My submissions — filtered table by user
  
  
• Project dashboard — charts and maps
  
  

Enable Login/Sign-up and assign roles (Researcher, Supervisor, Admin) so each member can access only what’s relevant.

📘 Learn more: How to create and assign user roles in your portal
📘 Learn more: How to let users view and edit their own data in your portal

Step 10: Enable offline sync and backups

Connect your portal to Google Sheets or another external database for syncing once devices reconnect to the internet.

📘 Learn more: How to set up two-way sync between Formaloo and Google Sheets

Pro tips

• Enable autosave: Let field agents continue their work even if interrupted.
  📘 Learn more: How to auto save incomplete responses and let users resume later
  
  
• Add AI Smart Content: Automatically summarize field notes or observations into structured reports.
  📘 Learn more: Create dynamic ending pages with AI Smart Content
  
  
• Use memory forms: Prefill researcher or project details for recurring field assignments.
  📘 Learn more: What are memory forms
  
  

‍

Example scenario

A field researcher records multiple biodiversity observations offline.
When reconnected, Formaloo syncs the submissions automatically.
Supervisors review them in the linked Data review form, mark them as Approved, and the results populate instantly in the Project dashboard — showing mapped locations and observation trends.

📘 Learn more: Build personalized and time-saving flows with logic, automations, and AI

‍

Your field data collection workflow is live

You’ve built a reliable data collection system for your research team, complete with offline access, logic, and analytics.
Next, expand it into a Research Management Portal with version control, participant forms, and export-ready datasets.

📘 Learn more: How to customize your portal with your brand identity

Last updated November 2025

‍