The MOMENT-GPS study investigates how people perceive safety on the VUB campus. It aims to identify personal, temporal, environmental and social factors that influence feelings of safety or insecurity. By collecting location-based responses, the study helps to map safety perceptions in real-time.

Safety perceptions impact how people move through and experience public spaces. Understanding which areas feel safe or unsafe can help improve campus planning, enhance security measures, and create a more inclusive and accessible environment.

Anyone aged 18 or older who visits the VUB campus Etterbeek at least once per academic year is eligible to participate.

Citizen science involves the public actively contributing to scientific research. As a citizen scientist in the MOMENT-GPS study, you help collect real-world data on safety perceptions, providing valuable insights that would be difficult to capture through traditional methods alone. Your participation plays a crucial role in understanding and improving safety on campus.

You can participate in the MOMENT-GPS study by following these steps: 

1. Download the MOMENT app  

If you use an iPhone, download the app from the App Store: MOMEN-app.  

If you use an Android device, download the app from the Google Play Store: MOMENT-app 

2. Create an account

Open the app and register with your email address.  

Choose a secure password and log in.  

3. Complete the pre-survey  

Before starting, you will be asked to complete a short pre-survey. This survey collects basic information about your background.  

4. Participate in one of two ways:

GPS-triggered surveys: If you enable location tracking, the app will automatically send you short surveys when you visit specific locations on campus. These surveys will ask about your safety perceptions in real-time, based on your surroundings.   For the best experience, we recommend setting location tracking to “Always allow” rather than “Only while using the app”, as this ensures that you receive surveys without having to keep the app open. This improves data collection accuracy and makes participation more convenient. However, if you prefer, you can still participate with location tracking set to “Only while using the app”, though this may result in fewer survey prompts.

QR code scanning: If you prefer not to share your location, you can still participate by scanning QR codes placed at specific locations around campus. Scanning a QR code will open a short survey asking about your experience at that location.  By participating, you contribute valuable insights into safety perceptions on campus, helping researchers identify factors that influence how people feel in different locations.

You will be asked about your perceived safety at specific locations, environmental factors such as lighting, visibility, and traffic, and whether social presence or absence affects your feelings of security.

Each survey takes about thirty seconds to complete. You may receive multiple surveys throughout the study, but you can decide how many you complete.

Yes, participation is entirely voluntary, and you can stop at any time without providing a reason.

Completing an initial survey about your background. Answering short surveys when prompted by GPS location or QR code scans. Optionally, providing feedback on campus safety concerns.

The study combines self-reported survey data with passive location tracking, if enabled, and QR code scanning to analyse how safety perceptions vary based on time, place, social, and environmental factors. Passive location tracking means that the app automatically detects when you enter specific areas on campus and sends you a survey without requiring any action from you. This allows for real-time data collection without disrupting your activities. If you prefer not to enable location tracking, you can still participate by scanning QR codes placed at specific locations on campus to access the surveys manually.

The MOMENT app is a research tool designed to collect real-time safety perception data. It triggers short surveys based on GPS locations or QR code scans, helping researchers understand how people experience safety on campus.

Yes, the MOMENT app is available for both iOS on the Apple App Store and Android on the Google Play Store.

No, participation requires the MOMENT mobile app to receive location-based surveys or scan QR codes.

No, the app requires an internet connection to function properly. Surveys are sent via an internet connection, both when triggered by location and when accessed through QR codes. You need to be online to receive and submit responses. If you are offline, you will not receive new surveys, and completed surveys cannot be submitted until you reconnect.

Open the MOMENT app. Click on “Forgot password?” on the login screen. Enter your registered email address. Follow the password reset instructions sent to your email.

If you are not receiving Moments, survey prompts, try the following:

Check location settings. Ensure that GPS is enabled and that the MOMENT app has permission to access your location. 

Allow background activity. Some phones limit background location tracking to save battery. 

Be on campus. Moments are only triggered at specific locations on the VUB campus Etterbeek. 

Check internet connection. A stable connection is required for survey notifications.

Restart the app and check for updates. Ensure your device’s operating system is up to date. Reinstall the app if issues persist. Contact the research team if the problem continues:

Petrus te Braak – ptebraak[at]vub.be

Theun Pieter van Tienoven – t.p.van.tienoven[at]vub.be

Yes, you can still participate by scanning QR codes at specific locations on campus instead of using GPS tracking.

The study collects your responses to safety perception surveys, basic demographic details such as age and gender, and your location data only if GPS tracking is enabled.

Yes, your data is pseudonymised and later fully anonymised, ensuring that it cannot be traced back to you.

Only the research team at Vrije Universiteit Brussel has access to pseudonymised data. It will never be shared with third parties.

You can still fully participate by using the QR code scanning option instead of enabling GPS tracking.

To delete your account, go the Profile section in the app, select Request account deletion and follow the steps to delete your account.

You can read the full privacy statement at https://www.moment.brussels/privacy-policy/

Your input helps researchers identify areas on campus where people feel safe or unsafe, understand which environmental, individual, social, and temporal factors influence safety perceptions, and provide recommendations to improve campus safety. It also contributes to scientific research on how safety perceptions are formed and allows us to further test and refine the research methodology before expanding the study to the Brussels-Capital Region and, hopefully, beyond.

Yes, the findings will be used in academic research and may be shared with policymakers or campus security, and in the media. Individual responses will never be disclosed. We would also be happy to inform you about the results at a later stage.

The study will run over several months, depending on participation rates and data collection needs.

The project is conducted by researchers from the Department of Sociology at Vrije Universiteit Brussel. The research team includes Petrus te Braak as the researcher and Theun Pieter van Tienoven as the supervisor.

For any questions or concerns, you can contact:

Petrus te Braak – ptebraak[at]vub.be

Theun Pieter van Tienoven – t.p.van.tienoven[at]vub.be

Yes, you can find more details about the project at www.moment.brussels.