Frequently Asked Questions
What are the main differences between trial and full-license studies?
Here are the key differences between the two license types:
- The trial version is free of charge, allowing full access to the default features without any restrictions.
- The trial version is intended only for test purposes. This setup is ideal for researchers to explore whether Avicenna meets the needs of their projects without financial commitment. If you plan to conduct actual field research with real participants, upgrading to the full license is necessary.
- In the trial version, the collected study data is wiped monthly, and the study will be deleted after one year. This is to ensure optimal service for ongoing licensed studies. All data deletions are communicated well in advance via email to give researchers enough time to secure their data.
To upgrade your study from Trial to Licensed, you can contact us directly via email at support@avicennaresearch.com and send your study ID.
How study data is uploaded?
The Avicenna app automatically uploads the collected data when there is an Internet connection available. By default, Avicenna uses any Internet connection (mobile or Wi-Fi), but you can change this for your study and set it to use Wi-Fi only. Participants can also change this setting anytime on their phone via the "Upload via Wi-Fi only" option.
The data appears on the website as soon as they are uploaded from the phone.
Can participants stop data collection?
Yes. Avicenna provides participants with a few different ways to stop the data collection any time they want, either permanently or temporarily.
If you want participants to be able to permanently disable a data source, but still be part of the study, you can set that data source to optional. This instructs the Avicenna app to give participants the option to opt out of this data source if they choose to.
Participants can also temporarily disable data collection at any time by going to the app and pressing "Pause Participation". This will stop all automatic data collection for one hour. The data collection will resume automatically after one hour. Note that participants will continue to receive surveys during this time if there are any surveys scheduled.
Is Avicenna GDPR Compliant?
As a data processor, Avicenna does comply with GDPR and currently multiple European institutions have Data Controller/Data Processor agreements with Avicenna in place.
Below we explain how our privacy policy and overall system architecture are set to comply with GDPR requirements.
- GDPR does apply to Avicenna, as a data processor.
- Participant unambiguous consent
Our software will require each study to have a consent form. As explained in section 6.2. of our Privacy Policy, the consent form is required to "... specify, among other things, (1) what is the purpose of the study (2) what are the potential risks or benefits to you as the Participant (3) what type of data is being collected (each referred to as a Data Source) (4) how the data will be handled and who will have access to the data (5) how you can contact the Researcher (6) what is the withdrawal process."
This consent form will be presented to participants before joining a study, and they have to agree to this before being able to participate. The consent form is available to the participants throughout the study participation.
- Further processing outside of what mentioned in the consent form
Avicenna does not perform any processing on the data collected for a given study.
- Participants' right to access their data
Avicenna provides each participant with an online account. The credentials of that account are the same as the ones used to sign up in the Avicenna app. Participants can log in to their online account on Avicenna's website at any time to access their data.
- Participant's right to delete their data
Avicenna allows participants to delete all or part of their data directly through their online account (as described in Section 10.6 of the Privacy Policy). If the participant does not have enough technical skills to use this option, she can contact our support for assistance.
- Data Portability
Participants in any Avicenna study can contact Avicenna's Support team and ask for a copy of their data. We will provide them with a machine-readable file containing all data collected from them.
- Data Storage and flow
Avicenna stores all data on servers physically located in Canada. All Avicenna employees and support staff are also located in Canada, therefore the data does not flow to any country other than Canada. Canada is considered by the EU Data Protection Commission as a country that provides adequate data protection.
You can find more information in Avicenna's Privacy Policy and Terms of Use. For example, Section 6.5. Data Sources We May Collect From the Participant, While Enrolled in a Study, talks about what are different data sources, what are the anonymization methods that can be used for each, and what are the potential concerns for each. Or Section 6.6 Data Encryption, Upload, Storage, and Anonymization, talks about how Avicenna encrypts, uploads, and stores the data. If you have any questions regarding this topic, please feel free to email us.
How many questions can I have per survey?
As many as you need. There is no limitation on the number of questions you can have in your survey. But keep in mind if you plan to ask the survey periodically, having many questions can negatively impact the response rate.
How can I access data from my study?
When you log in to Avicenna with your Researcher account, Avicenna will take you to the Researcher Dashboard, where you can have access to all the data collected for your study.
You may choose to export the data in different formats or explore them directly via the dashboard. Researcher Dashboard provides a few data visualizations mostly aimed at adherence monitoring. You also have access to a few web-based data analysis tools such as Kibana.
If you need to perform more in-depth analysis, you can simply export data in your desired format.
How long participants can remain offline while in a study?
When Avicenna captures data from the participant's device, it encrypts the data and stores it on the phone as long as necessary. The data will be removed only when they're uploaded to the servers. Suppose a given participant does not have an Internet connection for an extended period. In that case, the data accumulates on their phone, and as soon as a connection is available, the data is uploaded.
There are two pitfalls to be aware of here. First, when a large amount of data is stored on the device and not uploaded yet, the chance of losing all the data because of phone hardware issues increases. The person might lose the phone or break it, and in that case, all buffered data are lost.
Also, if a large amount of data is buffered on the device, the device might run out of space to record new data. This is particularly a problem with low-end older phones that have smaller memory.
So while the app does it's best not to lose any data, it's always good to make sure the data is received from all participants regularly.
Can I access the name and email address of the participants in my study?
Yes. You can contact Avicenna Support and we will be able to provide you with this information for each participant in your study.
By default, Avicenna allocates a unique ID to each new participant and uses that to store their data in the database. This ID is also used across the website to show their data. This approach guarantees the personal information of the participants, such as their first and last names and email addresses, is stored separately from their study-related data. It also ensures this information is not accidentally exposed to the wrong person via the Researcher Dashboard.
If you need to access this information for your study please contact Avicenna Support, and we will provide you with the requested information.
What happens if my participant changes her timezone?
Avicenna keeps track of the participant's timezone, and if they travel long enough that their timezone changes, Avicenna automatically reschedules all surveys and study settings based on the new timezone.
Keep in mind that the timezone change is received from the participant's smartphone or browser.
How much storage does having the Avicenna app take up on a phone?
The exact storage the Avicenna app takes varies depending on the phone type and manufacturer, but it is approximately 70 to 100 megabytes. For example, on most Android devices, the app approximately uses 65 Mb after installation.
However, like any other app, as you continue to use this app, the storage used gradually increases as well. Keep in mind that the amount of this storage consumption is based on the studies you are participating in.
Does having the Avicenna app on your phone impact your data plan limits?
The Avicenna app uses the Internet to download and upload data from your studies. As long as possible, the app uses available Wi-Fi, but if no Wi-Fi connection exists, the app falls back to using the data plan.
The amount of data that the Avicenna app will use depends on your study configuration. For example, if the study uses sensor data sources more data is used compared to studies that only contain surveys or cognitive activities.
I entered my Criteria, but the survey is not being triggered as expected. What could be wrong?
Check that your syntax is correct, the IDs are accurate, and the conditions are logical. Remember that only numerical responses can be used in Criteria.
Can I use Criteria to control the flow of surveys within a larger study?
Yes, Criteria is an excellent tool for controlling the flow of studies and directing participants through different survey paths based on their responses.
How can I stay updated about Avicenna's latest changes?
If you want to stay informed about Avicenna's updates, including new features, improvements, resolved bugs, etc., there are four ways to do so:
- Regularly check the Avicenna Blog for our monthly release notes.
- Visit the Avicenna Forum for weekly release notes.
- If you have an Avicenna researcher account, check the
What's Newsection under the Resource Hub on your dashboard. - Follow Avicenna's LinkedIn page.
How can I check the operational status of Avicenna services?
Our Service Status page provides real-time updates and information on the operational status of various services like Avicenna dashboards, Avicenna APIs, and our File & Data Server. Additionally, you can view stats for Overall Uptime (percentage values) over different periods, such as the last 90 days, and access historical data using the Calendar View link.
You can also access the Service Status page via its link located under the Resource Hub on your researcher dashboard.
If you encounter any issues with Avicenna services, please check the Service Status page first to see if there are any known outages. If there's none, you can contact our support team for further assistance.
Besides manually checking the page, you can also subscribe to updates on service status. To do so, open the Service Status page and click on the bell button in the top right corner. Enter your email address to receive email notifications every time Avicenna publishes an update.