Technology & Social Change Group

Who uses public access venues?

Melody Clark — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 18:40:13 +0000

Photo courtesy of David Sasaki (Flickr user "oso")

The last few posts based on the User Profiles working paper considered the “access” dimensions of public access venues – where people access computers and the Internet and why they go to public access venues. The next few posts, including this one, will uncover who comprises the “public” component of public access venues, that is, who are the users of public access venues? This post will focus on two primary demographics of public access venue users: age and gender. Does the stereotypical public access venue user, young and male, hold up? Let’s find out. Are public access venue users young?

Public access venue users under the age of 25; Sciadas, G., with Lyons, H., Rothschild, C., & Sey, A. (2012)

In all of the countries surveyed, it is clear that a significant proportion of public access venue users are young, under the age of 25. Even in Bangladesh and Chile, with the lowest percentages of users in this age group, over half of the users are younger than 25. This finding does align with much of the literature on public access venues. However, as demonstrated in the table below, there are other age groups significantly represented among public access venue users, particularly young adults between the ages of 25 and 34. Public access venues in Bangladesh and Chile seem to serve populations older than 34 as well.

Public access venue users by age; Sciadas, G., with Lyons, H., Rothschild, C., & Sey, A. (2012)

Do males constitute the majority of public access venue users? While many users of public access venues are indeed young, it should not be overlooked that these venues also serve other age groups. What about gender? Are the bulk of these users males? The survey sampling strategy aimed for 50% stratification by gender, so it is difficult to tell the whole story about gender with the table below. It is worth noting, however, that in three countries, Brazil, Chile, and the Philippines, the sampling objective was nearly met. Female public access venue users are clearly present and active. Cultural norms may account for the lower proportions in Bangladesh, as the survey enumerators noted it was difficult to find female users outside of major cities, where such activity would be less accepted.

Percentage of female users; Sciadas, G., with Lyons, H., Rothschild, C., & Sey, A. (2012)

While there is some justification to the stereotype that public access venue users are young males, there are clearly other populations using public access venues. The story of public access venue users being young and male is far from complete and exhaustive. These findings call for more in-depth exploration of age, gender, and other characteristics of public access venue users, which the Global Impact Study will do in the final report. The next post will discuss the education and income levels of public access venue users. For a more detailed description of the user survey findings on age and gender, please refer to pages 5-14 of the User Profiles working paper.

Why do people use public access venues?

Melody Clark — Tue, 10 Apr 2012 20:38:34 +0000

The last two posts on findings from the User Profile paper described that many people only have access to computers and particularly the Internet at public access ICT venues. Public access ICT venues also provide many with their first opportunity to gain experience with computers and the Internet. However, as displayed in the last post, there are public access ICT venue users that do indeed have access to computers and the Internet at their homes. In three countries, Chile, Ghana, and the Philippines, around a quarter to a third of users surveyed have Internet access at home. Even in the lowest household penetration rate, almost 15% of users in Bangladesh have Internet access at home.

Given the rates of Internet access at home, which are mostly above the respective country averages, it begs the question of why users who have Internet access at home frequent public access ICT venues. While we know that for many users, it is their only option for access, but what drives users that have access at home to use computers and ICT at public access venues? For many it is because public access venues offer better equipment than at home, which could also mean a faster Internet connection. Another significant reason is to see friends or be with other people in the venue. In Brazil, where users enjoy the highest percentage of Internet access at home, these are the two main reasons users visit public access venues.

As the chart shows below, there are significant percentages in the “other” response, particularly for Chile and Brazil. Some of these “other” reasons include free access, not having to compete with their family members for computer and Internet use at home, software and services provided at the venue, and the convenient location of the venue.

Main reason for venue use; Sciadas, G., with Lyons, H., Rothschild, C., & Sey, A. (2012)

As our data shows, many users who do have access at home still frequent public access venues. Qualities and characteristics of public access venues, outside of just providing access, encourage the use of these venues and add value for the users. To some, this may mean a faster connection or a place to use Microsoft Word, to others it is a convenient stop along their daily path where they can socialize and meet other people in the community. Regardless of the reason, it is clear from our survey data that people use public access venues even when they have Internet access at home, which suggests that public access venues have more to offer than just access alone.

In upcoming posts based on findings in the User Profile paper, we’ll explore more about public access venue users. Is it true that most public access venue users young males playing games? Are public access venue users the “poorest of the poor”? How far will users travel to visit a public access venue? All of these questions and more in upcoming posts!

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Source: Sciadas, G., with Lyons, H., Rothschild, C., & Sey, A. (2012). Public access to ICTs: Sculpting the profile of users. Seattle: Technology & Social Change Group, University of Washington Information School.

Open data, open research discussion at ICTD 2012

Melody Clark — Tue, 03 Apr 2012 21:16:10 +0000

The Global Impact Study uses an open research approach, meaning the study’s data, instruments, publications, and other materials produced, will be available to the public for free under a Creative Commons license. Over the course of the study, the Global Impact Study team has spent a lot of time thinking about the complexities, practicalities, and implications of open research and opening up large datasets to the public. We’ve discussed some of these issues at other venues in the past, such as at IFLA 2010. However, these issues have recently become even more important now as we have released our survey instruments, are preparing our data for release, and will have findings and resources to share. As such, we held a session during ICTD 2012 in Atlanta to discuss open data and open research.

Photo courtesy of Sara Vannini

After providing an overview of the Global Impact Study, survey instruments, and open research and open data, we divided the participants into three groups (the public/users, researchers, and sponsors/funders) to hear perspectives from different types of stakeholders. Each group discussed five questions regarding open data and open research:

When does data sharing begin?
How do you determine conditions of use (of the data)?
What data are open? Are some data not?
How can value be added to open data?
How can people add data to the existing open database?

After discussing the questions, we came back together as a group to share what each “audience” of open data discussed. Even though it is challenging to talk about the multitude of issues surrounding open data in a short session, we received a considerable amount of relevant and useful feedback. It was interesting to see similarities, as well as glaring differences, among the three different stakeholder groups. Below is a synopsis of how each group responded to the questions:

The public (users): Data should be released as soon as possible. More than data, however, they want findings in a usable way, such as summaries. They also want the data too, but in a format and platform that is easy to use. The data should be shared with the least-restrictive Creative Commons license, and all data should be open. Value can be added by offering summaries, snapshots of findings, and examples of how to use the data. The public would likely not be adding much data to the database, so this was not a top issue in their discussion.

Researchers: Data should not be open until the researchers have released their initial findings, unless the sponsor/funder of the research requires something else. The data should fall under a non-commercial Creative Commons license that requires attribution and citation of the original research. Some data should not be open due to confidentiality issues and the potential of mis-use. Value can be added to the data by providing rigorous data cleaning, clear methodology notes, definitions of terms, overview of the research process, and discussion of the limitations of the research and data. A tool for data analysis and visualization, like GapMinder, would also be appreciated.

Sponsors/funders: Data should be open as quickly as possible. There is a debate about whether or not open data should be available for non-commercial use only or commercial use as well, especially with public funding, as commercial entities should not make money off of it, but it also depends on the type of data. All data should be made available to researchers, with a subset of data made available to the public. No data should only be available to the sponsors/donors. Value can be added to the data by providing subsets of data based on particular variables, along with descriptions and analysis. Some analysis needs to be done in order for the data to be useful. Perhaps the open database could be community-owned and run so people can add other data in the future.

As evident in the summaries above, the public, researchers, and sponsors/funders all have different considerations, priorities, and ideals of an open data approach. There are many factors, from a variety of viewpoints, that go into an open research approach and opening up data to the public. In our experience so far, we have learned a lot about open research and open data, and we are sure to learn more. We hope to share some of our lessons learned as we move forward. As always, we encourage you to share your comments, ideas, and relevant resources with us.

April 12: From co-working to hackerspaces: An introduction to innovation spaces

Karen Hirst — Tue, 03 Apr 2012 18:46:41 +0000

TASCHA Talk: Chris Coward

April 12, from 3:45 to 4:45 pm
Roosevelt Commons Bldg., 4th floor multi-purpose room or via Adobe Connect

We all know what the typical telecenter or library computer space looks like—people sitting behind monitors along rows of desks, working away on whatever it is they are doing. This model serves a purpose, and as our research indicates, people can benefit greatly from the sort of access and services that one finds in these places. But at the same time this standard configuration is limiting in the types of activities that people can engage in around computers. In this talk Chris introduced other models of communal computer usage, places described as co-working spaces, hacker or maker spaces, and innovation hubs. Chris took guests on a tour, exploring what people do in these places, who they are designed for, and what makes them work. This tour showed that the physical design, management, rules, and services of these spaces foster a wide range activities. Next, he looked at the ways people across disciplines are conducting research on innovation spaces. What are the driving questions? How are people trying to understand the phenomenon and introduce technological, design, or other interventions to improve the impacts of these places? Finally, he discussed potential research opportunities for TASCHA and others to contribute to advancing this space.

About the presenter

Chris Coward is the co-founder, Principal Research Scientist, and Director of the Technology & Social Change Group (TASCHA) at the University of Washington Information School. Under his leadership, TASCHA has grown in size and scope over the last decade, encompassing research in 50 countries. Chris specializes in designing research programs that improve policy and practice. His work focuses on examining the social and economic impacts of information and communication technologies (ICT), with particular attention to the role of libraries and nonprofit organizations in developing countries. Chris holds a Master of Public Administration degree and a Master of Arts in International Studies degree, both from the University of Washington.

Download the presentation

TASCHA Talks are bi-weekly sessions to share, discuss, and advance new ideas around topics related to technology and social change. Learn more at tascha.uw.edu/taschatalks.

Tension between “intentionality” and “self-expression” in Egyptian social movements?

Joe Sullivan — Wed, 28 Mar 2012 18:43:55 +0000

Maria Garrido presented an outstanding TASCHA Talk on Monday on the role of ICT in the revolution in Egypt. It’s easy to get hooked on the news narrative that made events in Iran and Egypt “Twitter Revolutions,” however Maria and her team were emphatic that such a narrative overemphasizes the role of technology. The technology needs to be viewed in the context of larger events: workers movements, dissatisfaction with Mubarak’s successi0n plans, etc. However, technology did provide affordances for mobilization that are significant. Maria spoke to two: personal expression and strategic intentionality. These two themes interest me because they simultaneously speak to bottom-up, big-tent participation and top-down, command and control tactical strategy. Can these coexist? Does ICT create new, better opportunities for blended approaches? The “self-expression” identified by Maria sounds to me like the marketplace of ideas. Many voice opinions in public. Some go viral. Some are ignored. Individuals participate in collective action in a way that maximizes their individuality while also strengthening “the movement’s” narrative–the message(s) that gain traction emerge as collective voice. The “intentionality” identified in the research argues that specific actors–such as the administrator of a facebook page pursues a particular strategy–promoting a particular organizing tactic, rhetorical framing, etc. In this way particular actors lead and (at least in this research presentation) their choices are described as “the movement’s” choices. At first I thought there was tension between these two ideas. It seemed like a top down strategy of “intentionality,” where movement elites who speak for “the movement” and make intentional strategic choices was inconsistent with self-expression percolating up from the bottom. Maybe not, though. If these influential characters became leaders through this self-expression, if their ideas won in the marketplace, it is very different from a command and control model. A smart, compelling facebook page could become the voice of the movement because the movement (through millions of ICT affirmations) made it so. Ultimately, I can imagine a consistency between these phenomena. Self-expression by millions of actors elevates the messages of particular strategic, savvy, and intentional actors who then become leaders in the movement. Of course, as the researchers remind us, the alliances and hard work of on-the-ground activists cannot be overlooked. ICT doesn’t replace those things. However the affordances of the technology do seem to broaden the scope (and water down the purity–but we’ll save that for another time) of the message and the movement.

Public access is the only option for Internet access for many

Melody Clark — Tue, 27 Mar 2012 18:20:40 +0000

The previous post on findings from the Global Impact Study’s User Profiles working paper discussed that public access ICT venues provide many people with the opportunity to first use computers and particularly the Internet. This finding leads to the question of why people first experience using computers and the Internet at public access venues.

One potential, and logical, reason is that they do not have access to a computer and the Internet at home. Findings from our public access user survey reveal that while many people have computers in their homes, especially in Brazil, Chile, and Ghana, Internet access at home is lacking. Even in Chile, where overall connectivity is high, only 33% of the users surveyed have access to the Internet at home. Brazil users enjoy the highest percentage of Internet access at home, but at 40%, it is less than half of the users we surveyed. Only a quarter of users in Ghana and the Philippines have Internet, and not even 15% of users in Bangladesh have access at home.

Computer & Internet penetration in user households; Sciadas, G., with Lyons, H., Rothschild, C., & Sey, A. (2012)

With more and more services, like searching for jobs, accessing government programs, and communicating with others, going online, people have more needs that can only be met by having access to computers and the Internet. As the data from our user survey illustrates above, not everyone has access to computers, and particularly the Internet, at home. This data also supports the previous post about where people first access computers and the Internet. If access at home is not available, people need to find an alternative for this access, and for many, that is found at a public access venue.

In our next post on findings from the user survey, we will explore the reasons why those people who do have computer and Internet access at home frequent public access venues. Is it a faster connection? Better equipment? To be with friends? Stay tuned to find out why even those with home access come to public access venues!

Global Impact Study survey instruments available

Melody Clark — Fri, 23 Mar 2012 23:02:02 +0000

The Global Impact Study is pleased to announce that our survey instruments are now available for download and use. As part of our open research approach, we have released the survey instruments, corresponding survey codebooks, and the survey methodology report for other organizations and research projects to use and adapt for public access ICT survey needs.

The user, venue, and non-user survey instruments and codebooks are available for download in our web library. Free registration and sign-in is required for instrument and codebook downloads. The methodology report can also be found in the web library.

Download (with registration)

User survey: instrument & codebook

Venue survey: instrument & codebook

Non-user survey: instrument & codebook

Methodology report: Global Impact Study surveys: Methodologies and implementation

March 26: From a Facebook event to a Social Movement: The trajectory of the April 6th youth movement and the revolution in Egypt

Technology & Social Change Group — Thu, 22 Mar 2012 02:29:24 +0000

TASCHA Talk: Maria Garrido

March 26, from 12:00 to 1:20 pm
Mary Gates Hall, Room 420 or via Adobe Connect

This TASCHA Talk, in conjunction with the iSchool Research Conversation series, examined the different uses of information and communication technology (ICT) tools in the trajectory and evolution of the April 6th Youth Movement in Egypt. The April 6th Youth Movement emerged from a Facebook page created by two activists and bloggers (Ahmed Maher and Israa Abdel Fattah) to support the workers strikes in Mahalla in April 2008. It evolved into a broad social movement, providing a powerful narrative for social struggle as well as innovative strategies for collective action and mobilization, garnering a broad level of support that crystallized around the January 2011 protests. In making this historical event happen, Egyptian youth utilized old and new media, online spaces and offline street presence. These different tools became effective conduits for organizing, documenting, and communicating their Revolution, either nationally to fellow citizens or worldwide to a global audience. Maria discussed some of the factors that empowered the April 6th Youth Movement to mobilize and to make the leap from a Facebook page to a grassroots movements and the elements that shaped their use of technologies, and how did technologies influence their choice and strategies.

About the presenter

Maria Garrido is a Research Assistant Professor at the Technology & Social Change Group’s Information School. Her research explores how people in communities facing social and economic challenges use information and communication technologies to promote social and economic development and advance social change. Much of her work focuses on technology appropriation in the context of social movements and in international migration.

Download the presentation

TASCHA Talks are bi-weekly sessions to share, discuss, and advance new ideas around topics related to technology and social change. Learn more at tascha.uw.edu/taschatalks.

Public access venues provide first experience with computers and Internet for many

Melody Clark — Tue, 06 Mar 2012 22:33:43 +0000

Over the next several months, leading up to the release of our final project report, the Global Impact Study will be posting interim findings as they emerge from the data. We will begin the series of posts with some findings detailed in our recently released user profiles working paper.

Do you remember where you first used a computer? Where you first used the Internet? School, work, maybe even at home? Findings from our user survey indicate that, with the exception of Brazil, around half of public access ICT users first used a computer at a public access venue, such as a cybercafe, telecenter, or library. More impressive is that between 55%-75% of users first used the Internet in a public access venue, even in Chile, where connectivity is high. In Brazil, with the lowest percentages, over a third of users first used a computer and the Internet at a public access venue.

This data illustrates that public access venues provide many people with their first opportunity to enter the digital age and gain experience with computers and the Internet. The percentages in the chart are higher than we expected as we had hypothesized that schools would be a point of first touch for the majority of new users. This finding has implications for the types of experiences these people have since public access venues are places where people typically engage in multiple, unstructured, and informal activities, not formal classroom learning.

In the coming posts, we will explore where else people use the Internet and computers, what they do in public access venues, their demographic profiles, and more. Stay tuned!

Aggregating election social media in real time to prevent conflict

Christine Prefontaine — Wed, 29 Feb 2012 20:50:02 +0000

Mike Best and his team at Georgia Tech have designed a real-time election monitoring tool that aggregates social media content from about 20 different sources, including Twitter, Facebook, Ushahidi, blogs, and SMS messages. As reports begin to filter in, the aggregator uses clustering around certain keywords to create an organic catalogue of “curated incidents.” This way, the monitoring team in the “response room” can inform others about irregularities and problems. The tool was used in Nigeria in April 2011 and in Liberia in October 2011. Following the election, the data can be analyzed to improve the use of social media and SMS to improve future election experiences. Examples:

Training civilian groups and voters to tweet election results
Organizing SMS group accounts for both national and local election officials
Establishing a central database to collate election results, and having local precincts send results via SMS
Advising international monitoring organizations to partner with domestic groups that will monitor social media

“Nigeria showed that this technology has legitimate and useful applications for monitoring elections or keeping a real-time pulse on any number of political or community issues,” said Best. “Our ultimate goal is to delve deeper into the particulars of this, examining the information’s accuracy, depth, timeliness and scope, and comparing it along those dimensions to other sources of information.” In 2012, Best hopes to employ the aggregator in monitoring elections in Kenya, Senegal and the new nation of South Sudan. Learn more »