News: Announcements

April 3, 2012

The Global Impact Study held a session during ICTD 2012 in Atlanta to discuss open data and open research. 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. 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. Varying audiences, such as 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.

TASCHA Talk: Chris Coward April 12, 2012 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…

March 27, 2012

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.

March 23, 2012

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,…

March 22, 2012

TASCHA Talk: Maria Garrido March 26, 2012 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…

March 6, 2012

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.

We are 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 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.

February 28, 2012

Two years ago — on February 27, 2010 — a massive earthquake struck Chile, followed by a tsunami that devastated several coastal communities. Libraries and telecenters played an important and unexpected role in responding to the crisis, helping to restore communication and promote recovery. Produced in partnership with the Assocacion de Telecentros Activos de Chile (ATACH), the Technology & Social Change Group’s latest series of publications on Global Impact Study related research project — Disaster response in Chile: The critical role of libraries and telecenters — examines post-disaster information and communication needs, services provided by libraries and telecenters, response times, and factors contributing to successes and shortfalls. It also provides recommendations to improve emergency planning efforts.

February 22, 2012

Much of the Global Impact Study data comes from our public access ICT user survey, venue survey, and non-user survey in Bangladesh, Brazil, Chile, Ghana, and the Philippines. Conducting such surveys in diverse countries is a complex process that requires rigorous methodologies to ensure the data and subsequent findings are sound. Our methodology report presents the context and the methodologies used for each of the three surveys. In addition to providing details about the survey implementation in each of the five countries, the report also covers the challenges we faced with these surveys and our mitigation strategies for these challenges.

February 15, 2012

The Global Impact Study is pleased to announce that we have just launched a web library, through which users can search for and download Global Impact Study reports, tools, papers, data, and other documents. We will continue adding to the library over the coming months.