Mobile API-based data collection uses mobile devices (smartphones, tablets) to query application programming interfaces — structured web endpoints that return machine-readable data — enabling researchers to gather behavioral, contextual, sensor-enriched, or platform-generated data in real time from participants in their natural environments. It combines the ubiquity of mobile hardware with the scalability and standardization of RESTful or GraphQL APIs.
Luce, M. F., Kahn, B. E., & Malhotra, N. K. (2016). Capturing consumer experiences with mobile research methods. Journal of Consumer Research, 42(6), 949–965. link ↗
Application programming interface. Wikipedia. link ↗