Common Quantified Self Data Formats

Question

I am interested in understanding the state of the art regarding Quantified Self data sources. Specifically:

• What types of data sources should I expect to see from common QS apps?
• What types of variations I can expect in common formats (i.e. the GPS Exchange format) Samples of these formats or links to samples of these formats?
• What are common methods to access the data as an app builder?
• What are common methods to access raw data as a user/consumer?
• What are the data access policies for those devices?
• What devices matter most (please provide references to data, not mere opinion)?

I know this is a big, multipart question, but answering one part of it without the context of the others will make it difficult to make decisions about what to support and use. I plan on doing this research myself for the most popular apps. I will post my answers here, but I wanted others to be able to comment and extend that content. So if you have another app to add, consider putting it here.

Answer 1

here are the common devices:

Fitbit

• Data Type: movement data interpolated into steps/sleep data.
• Users can log other types of health data.
• Data Variations: none
• App access: OAuth based access to XML and JSON from dev.fitbit.com
• User access: data download is a premium feature. Login to fitbit.com (and pay if you have not already) to get download access. http://blog.fitbit.com/?p=360

RunKeeper HealthGraph

• Data Type: GPS data from the RunKeeper app, but also can pipe through fitbit withings etc
• Users can log other types of health data.
• Data Variations: none
• App access: OAuth based access to XML and JSON from dev.fitbit.com
• User access: RunKeeper has a data download process for all users that is described here: http://support.runkeeper.com/entries/21696773-how-to-export-your-runkeeper-data

Map My Run

• Data Type: GPS running data
• Users can log other types of health data.
• Data Variations: none
• App access: OAuth based access to XML and JSON from dev.fitbit.com
• User access: Can download a GPX with a route but not times: http://support.mapmyfitness.com/mapmyfitness/topics/when_i_export_gpx_file_i_can_not_find_attitude_and_time_information