Due to the increasing complexity of survey work, tablets can provide a strong support system for data enumerators during collection. Software can be written to assist in reminding enumerators
when to skip questions, what kinds of prompts are acceptable to use, or when to abort a survey due to responses provided. It can also ensure that crucial questions are not accidentally skipped
during collection. For survey administrators, the benefits are even more far reaching: Instant access to data, metrics on enumerator pacing, instant data entry with no additional wait time, GPS mapping of dwelling and more. Tangerine, an open source data entry interface developed by RTI International, is the first tablet based data collection software custom-created to record student responses on early grade reading or mathematics assessments, yet flexible enough to capture common survey formats in a range of languages and scripts without requiring programming expertise. Surveys can be collaboratively designed using a simple Web-based tool, the Tangerine wizard, similar to Survey Monkey or Google Forms. Tangerine does not require connectivity during data collection to be usable in low-resource and low-bandwidth environments. At the same time, where connectivity, e.g. via mobile networks is available, the software allows for regular back-up of the data to the central server which in turn allows for immediate review and monitoring of data collection progress.