Modular Online Time-Use Survey (MOTUS) as a bridge between research groups

Time-use research often requires great effort of the participants and is more expensive than conventional data collection techniques, such as surveys. These two factors inhibit the adoption of this specific form of data collection. To resolve these issues, the Research Group TOR decided to substitute the classic pen-and-paper diary research by an online registration procedure. To develop this online registration tool and to apply for funding, a partnership was formed by three research groups of the Vrije Universiteit Brussel. The Research Groups TOR, SMIT and MOBI decided to work together to develop an online registration tool to study human behaviour. The Research Group TOR wanted to develop this tool to lower the costs of time-use research, to decrease the burden on the respondents and thus to guarantee the continuity of time-use research. Moreover an online tool could make time-use research more flexible through the implementation of different modules. The Research Groups SMIT and MOBI were particularly interested in developing a modular tool, which would allow them to collect more detailed information about media and/or transportation behaviour enriched with contextual information about general daily time-use patterns. The development and implementation of this online registration tool led to a rich and reciprocal partnership. This partnership did not only yielded an online registration tool and mutual benefits, but also paved the way to new prospects for (multidisciplinary) collaboration.