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New Approaches to Human Mobility: Using Mobile Phones for Demographic Research

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  • John Palmer
  • Thomas Espenshade
  • Frederic Bartumeus
  • Chang Chung
  • Necati Ozgencil
  • Kathleen Li

Abstract

This article explores new methods for gathering and analyzing spatially rich demographic data using mobile phones. It describes a pilot study (the Human Mobility Project) in which volunteers around the world were successfully recruited to share GPS and cellular tower information on their trajectories and respond to dynamic, location-based surveys using an open-source Android application. The pilot study illustrates the great potential of mobile phone methodology for moving spatial measures beyond residential census units and investigating a range of important social phenomena, including the heterogeneity of activity spaces, the dynamic nature of spatial segregation, and the contextual dependence of subjective well-being. Copyright Population Association of America 2013

Suggested Citation

  • John Palmer & Thomas Espenshade & Frederic Bartumeus & Chang Chung & Necati Ozgencil & Kathleen Li, 2013. "New Approaches to Human Mobility: Using Mobile Phones for Demographic Research," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 50(3), pages 1105-1128, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:demogr:v:50:y:2013:i:3:p:1105-1128
    DOI: 10.1007/s13524-012-0175-z
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    18. Shareck, Martine & Kestens, Yan & Frohlich, Katherine L., 2014. "Moving beyond the residential neighborhood to explore social inequalities in exposure to area-level disadvantage: Results from the Interdisciplinary Study on Inequalities in Smoking," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 108(C), pages 106-114.
    19. Nolan E. Phillips & Brian L. Levy & Robert J. Sampson & Mario L. Small & Ryan Q. Wang, 2021. "The Social Integration of American Cities: Network Measures of Connectedness Based on Everyday Mobility Across Neighborhoods," Sociological Methods & Research, , vol. 50(3), pages 1110-1149, August.

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