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TheGlobal Impact Study of Public Access to Information&
Communication Technologies is a fiveyear
project (20072012) to generate evidence about the scale,
character, and impacts of public access to
informationandcommunicationtechnologies.Lookingatlibraries,telecentres,andcybercafes,thestudy
investigates impact in a number of areas, including
communication and leisure, culture and language,
education,employmentandincome,governance,andhealth.TheGlobalImpactStudyisimplementedby
theUniversityofWashington's Technology&
SocialChangeGroupwith support from the International
DevelopmentResearchCentre(IDRC)andagranttoIDRCfromtheBill&MelindaGatesFoundation.
Whythisresearch?Whynow?Over the lastdecade, governments,
internationaldevelopment agencies, foundations,and corporations
havemadesignificantinvestmentstoincreasepublicaccesstoICT,particularlyindevelopingcountries.As
these investmentscontinuetogrow,questionsarebeingraisedabout
theirsocialandeconomic impact,
particularly:
Whatarethesocial,economic,andpoliticalimpactsofpublicaccesstoICT?
Whatisthemagnitudeoftheseimpactsandhowcanwemeasurethem?
WhatistherelationshipbetweencostsandbenefitsofprovidingandusingpublicaccesstoICT?
The Global Impact Study investigates these questions using
longitudinal and comparative research
approaches. Researchers examine both the positive and negative
impacts of a range of shared, public
accessmodels, such as the provision of ICT in libraries and
telecentres, aswell as othermodels and
innovationsthatemergeoverthelifeoftheproject(20072012).
Informationand
communication
technologies
can
influence
lives
in
avariety
of
ways.
The
Global
Impact
Study is focusing its efforts on the six domains described
below.While these six areas are central to
exploringtheimpactsofpublicaccessICTs,thestudyallowsfor,andwelcomes,discoveriesbeyondthese
domains.
1. Communication & Leisure: People often use computers in
public venues for their own personal
enjoyment.Developmentgains(orlosses)fromplayingcomputergamesorusingsocialmediamightnotbe
immediate, but these types of uses can support development
outcomes in the long run. For example,
leisurelyexploring
interestsonlinemaybuildpotentialskillsorknowledgethat
leadtopositiveoutcomes
later,andusingICTsforpersonalcommunication,throughemailandchatting,canhelppeoplemaintainor
expandvaluable
social
networks.
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2.Culture&Language:ManypeopleuseICTstosharecultural
information,bothtraditionalandpopular.
Somemight do this by organizing or attending events. Othersmay
create websites or blogs in local
languagesorbenefitfromreadingsuchcontent.Canwesaythattechnology
in libraries,telecenters,and
cybercafeshashelpedusersmaintainorexpresscultural
identity,preserve languages,orsupportcultural
practicesorexperiencesinotherways?
3.Education:ThroughcomputersandInternetavailability,peoplecangainaccesstoinformationandtools
thatsupportlearning.Studentscanusesoftwaretocompletehomeworkandimprovetheirperformanceat
school.Adolescentsandadultsmightseekoutadmissionsorfinancialaidinformationforneweducational
opportunitiesortoparticipateinonlineworkshops.Suchusescansupportpositiveeducationaloutcomes
thatmayleadtoarangedevelopmentgoals,fromeconomicimpactstoenhancingqualityoflife.
4.Employment& Income:Peoplecanuse ICTsto
findjobs,prepareresumes,or improvetheirskillsand
enhance theiremployability.Entrepreneurscanuse the Internet
tosellproductsandservicesorexpand
customerbases.Othersuseonline information to support their
linesorwork,whether throughpricing
decisions,discovering
new
production
techniques,
or
exploring
new
ways
to
earn
income.
Additionally,
usingICTsmighthelppeoplesendorreceiveremittances.TowhatextentdopeopleusepublicaccessICTs
tosupportsuchactivitiesandwhataretheimpacts?
5.Governance:National,regional,andlocalgovernmentsareincreasinglycreatingandmaintainingaweb
presence to share and solicit information from their
constituents. Are people using public access
computers to contact officials, improve their access to public
services, or hold the governmentmore
accountable? Are people connecting with NGOs, political parties,
or other groups to increase civic
participation?EffectivelyusingICTsforthesepurposescanhaveasignificantimpactonpeopleslivesand
thecommunitiestheylivein.
6.Health:Increasingly,informationabouthealthisprovidedonline.TheInternetcanprovidepeoplewith
betteraccess to informationabout illnesses,diseasepreventionand
treatment,medicalconditions,diet
and nutrition, or health care providers. Towhat extent have
people used public access ICTs to obtain
information that resulted in better health outcomes for
themselves, their families, or others in their
communities?
ImpactFactorsOurgeneralhypothesis is thatthere
isarelationshipbetweenthesesix factorsand the impactofpublic
accesstechnologies,eitherdirectlythroughuseofpublicaccessfacilitiesorbecausetheyinfluencetheway
publicaccessICTsareused.
1. Reach What is the reach of public access venues,
geographically and socially? What are the
mechanismsbywhichpublicaccessICTservicesareaccessedanduseddirectlyand
indirectly?Howdoes
thistranslateintoimpacts?Whatcostsareassociatedwiththeseimpacts?
2.UseWhatdifferenttypesofusesoccuratpublicaccessICTvenues(e.g.individualorcollectiveuses,
instrumentalornot,etc.)?What isthe
impactofdifferenttypesofusage?Howdousersmakedecisions
aboutwhenandhowtousewhattypeofpublicaccessICTfacilities?Whatdotheirusagepatternsindicate
aboutthevaluetheyplaceonpublicaccessICTinparticularandICTaccessingeneral?
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3.PhysicalDesign&LocationWhatarethedifferentdesignsofpublicaccessICTvenues?Howdoesthe
physicaldesign/architectureand locationofpublicaccess
ICTvenuesaffect theiraccessibility,use, long
termsustainabilityandimpacts?WhatfactorsshapethedesignofpublicaccessICTvenues?
4.VenueServices&OperationsHowdopublicaccessICTvenuesoperate?Whatservicesdotheyoffer
andin
what
form
(e.g.,
staff
assistance,
infomediary
services,
IT
training,
childcare)?
What
rules
govern
theiruse?HowdoesthedesignofpublicaccessICTservicesandoperationsaffecttheiraccessibility,use,
longterm sustainability and impacts?What factors shape the
design of public access ICT services and
operations?Whatistherelationshipbetweentheprovisionofancillaryservicesandtheuseaswellasthe
degreeofimpactofpublicaccessICTs?Underwhatconditionsisitcosteffectivetoprovidetheseservices?
5.InformationEcologiesWhatisthesocioculturalcontextofpublicaccessICTprovisionanduse?What
informationandcommunicationresourcesdousershaveorneed,andisthisfactoredintopublicaccessICT
design?Howdoesthisexplainusagepatternsandassociatedimpacts?
6.Policy
&
Regulatory
Context
How
do
policy
and
regulatory
environments
affect
the
provision,
design,
use,andimpactofpublicaccessICTs?Towhatextentispolicymakingbasedonresearchevidence?
Weare findingouthowdifficult it is todesignasurvey
thatcapturesallwewant toknowaboutpublic
accessvenuesandusersandtokeepthesurveyunder45minutes.Severalmonthsagotheresearchteam
put together a survey working group composed of four project
members (George Sciadas, Carlos
Manjarrez, Beth Kolko, and Mike Crandall) who have extensive
experience in survey design and
implementation.
Theresearchquestionsforthesurveysare:1.
WhatisthedemographicprofileofpublicaccessICTusers?2. Apart
frompublic access ICTs,whatother information and communication
resources do public
accessICTusershave?
3.
HowdopublicaccessICTusersperceivetheirICTskillsandwhataretheirICTusecomfortlevels?4.
WhydopeoplegotopublicaccessICTvenues?5.
WhatdopeopledoatpublicaccessICTvenues?6.
HowaccessiblearepublicaccessICTvenuesandservicestodifferenttypesofpopulations?7.
Howdothedesign,services,andoperationsofpublicaccessICTsaffectusagepatterns?8.
What types of venue policies do public access ICT operators view as
inhibiting their ability to
provideinformationandservicesthattheybelieveuserswant?
9.
Whatdopublicaccessusersseeastheimpactsofusingpublicaccess?10.WhatoutcomescanbeassociatedwithpublicaccessICTuseindifferentdomains?11.DoespublicaccessICTusehaveindirectimpacts?12.WhatisthevalueofpublicaccessICTtousers?13.WhatisthecostofprovidingpublicaccessICTs?
Thesurvey instrumentsare
inthefinalstagesofeditingbeforebeingtranslated into local
languagesand
piloted.Results fromthepilotswill informthe finalsurvey
instruments,whichwillberolledout inearly
2010 in Bangladesh, Brazil, Chile, and the Philippines. We are
looking forward to sharing the final
instrumentsandadditionalinsightsaboutoursurveydevelopmentprocess.
