Article · Wikipedia archive · Last revised Jun 6, 2026

ODK (software)

ODK is an open-source mobile data collection platform that supports online and offline collection of structured data on people, places, and things and allows previously collected data to be updated over time.

Last revised
Jun 6, 2026
Read time
≈ 2 min
Length
479 w
Citations
22
Source
Wikipedia ↗
ODK
DeveloperGet ODK
Written inJava, JavaScript, Python
Operating systemCross-platform
TypeData collection, Mobile forms
LicenseApache 2
Websitegetodk.org
Repositorygithub.com/getodk

ODK is an open-source mobile data collection platform that supports online and offline collection of structured data on people, places, and things and allows previously collected data to be updated over time.1

ODK is primarily used for field data collection, including infrastructure assessment23, service delivery45, environmental and agricultural monitoring67, disease surveillance89, and longitudinal research studies1011.

Features

ODK supports online and offline collection of structured data on Android devices and through browser-based web forms in low-connectivity environments. Forms can capture text, numbers, selections, dates, multimedia, barcodes, signatures, and metadata such as time, location, and user actions.1213

ODK forms support conditional branching, validation rules, calculations, and repeating groups for complex workflows.14 ODK also includes geospatial data collection functionality, allowing users to collect points, lines, and polygons, use online or offline map layers, and apply spatial constraints such as geofencing and intersection checks.15

Collected data is synchronized to a server for storage and management. The system provides tabular and map-based monitoring, accept/reject workflows, audit logs, end-to-end encryption, and role-based access control.16 ODK includes a feature called Entities that enables persistent longitudinal records representing people, places, or things, which can be updated over time and accessed in both online and offline environments. 1718

ODK integrates with external systems through a REST API and supports data exchange with third-party tools, including automation platforms, business intelligence software, and analysis environments in Python and R.192021

History

ODK (formerly called Open Data Kit) was founded in 2008 by Gaetano Borriello, Yaw Anokwa, Waylon Brunette, and Carl Hartung. It was designed to be an extensible, open-source suite to build information services for developing regions.22

References

References

  1. "Home". getodk.org.
  2. 80% of public health facilities are substandard: Government survey https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/111350919.cms
  3. Tanzania Nationwide Mills Census https://www.wfp.org/publications/tanzania-nationwide-mills-census-report-2022
  4. Africa's largest polio vaccination drive since 2020 targets 21 million children https://www.afro.who.int/news/africas-largest-polio-vaccination-drive-2020-targets-21-million-children
  5. Rescuelog: A Shiny (and ODK) Based Monitoring System for Lifeguards https://hal.inrae.fr/hal-05312032v1
  6. EMBAL- European Monitoring of Biodiversity in Agricultural Landscapes https://www.researchgate.net/publication/382149967_EMBAL_-European_Monitoring_of_Biodiversity_in_Agricultural_Landscapes
  7. CSIRO marine litter monitoring methods handbook https://doi.org/10.25919/2ztr-pz04
  8. A clinically oriented antimicrobial resistance surveillance network https://www.ijidonline.com/article/S1201-9712(26)00308-5/fulltext
  9. Electronic data capture for large scale typhoid surveillance, household contact tracing, and health utilisation survey https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32934993/
  10. The Rural Household Multiple Indicator Survey, data from 13,310 farm households in 21 countries https://www.nature.com/articles/s41597-020-0388-8
  11. Seasonal malaria vaccination: protocol of a phase 3 trial of seasonal vaccination with the RTS,S/AS01E vaccine, seasonal malaria chemoprevention and the combination of vaccination and chemoprevention https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32933955
  12. Question types https://docs.getodk.org/form-question-types
  13. Electronic Data Management for Vaccine Trials https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34805059
  14. Form logic https://docs.getodk.org/form-logic/
  15. ODK pour la collecte de données géo https://geotribu.fr/articles/2021/2021-06-08_odk_postgis_1/
  16. Pentest & Review of ODK Mobile Apps, Server & Threat Model https://cure53.de/pentest-report_ODK.pdf
  17. ODK Entities https://docs.getodk.org/entities-intro
  18. Field Mapping is the Future: A Tasking Manager Workflow Using ODK https://www.hotosm.org/en/news/field-mapping-is-the-future-a-tasking-manager-workflow-using-odk-available-in-english-spanish-portuguese-french
  19. Downloading submissions with Power BI or Excel https://docs.getodk.org/central-submissions/#downloading-submissions-with-power-bi-or-excel
  20. pyODK https://getodk.github.io/pyodk
  21. ruODK https://zenodo.org/records/5559164
  22. Hartung et al. (2010) Open Data Kit: Tools to Build Information Services for Developing Regions http://anokwa.com/publications/2010_ICTD_OpenDataKit_Paper.pdf
External links