Araba Sey

‘We use it different, different’: Making sense of trends in mobile phone use in Ghana:

Drawing on ideas from the sustainable livelihoods approach to poverty reduction and the concept of technology appropriation, this article discusses findings from a mixed methods study exploring mobile phone use in Ghana. The results suggest that most respondents value their phone for the connectivity it affords with a variety of personal and professional contacts. In this sense, the mobile phone is not an overt means of poverty reduction for respondents but an integral part of their lives, in which it serves multiple functions. The study contributes empirical data to the emerging body of research on mobile phone communication in African countries.

‘We use it different': Making sense of trends in mobile phone use in Ghana

Drawing on ideas from the sustainable livelihoods approach to poverty reduction and the concept of technology appropriation, this article discusses findings from a mixed methods study exploring mobile phone use in Ghana. The results suggest that most respondents value their phone for the connectivity it affords with a variety of personal and professional contacts. In this sense, the mobile phone is not an overt means of poverty reduction for respondents but an integral part of their lives, in which it serves multiple functions. The study contributes empirical data to the emerging body of research on mobile phone communication in African countries.

Loose strands: searching for evidence of public access ICT impact on development

Telecenters, libraries and internet cafés are often credited as being important venues for making information and communication technologies (ICTs) more widely available for people in developing and developed countries. Although numerous case studies and evaluations show the contribution public venues can make to socio-economic development within certain contexts, the body of research provides a fragmented view of outcomes and impacts of public access ICTs in general. This paper uses a broad outcomes approach to review existing research on the impacts of public access to ICTs, including the extent to which public access ICTs are used and how they contribute to socio-economic development. We find that most research adds primarily to the body of knowledge on public access ICT operational conditions, users and uses. While some insights are provided into what may be classified as outcomes and impacts, there is relatively limited hard evidence at this level.

The impact of public access to ICTs: findings from a five-year, eight-country study

This article summarizes the findings of a five-year study investigating the impacts of public access to information and communication technologies (ICTs). The research was conducted in eight low and medium income countries employing a range of survey, ethnographic, and experimental research approaches. The analysis revealed substantial first-order effects in terms of technology access, information access and ICT skills development. Second-order effects in domains such as health, education, employment and income varied considerably, though when public access users had a need in any of these areas they were generally successful in achieving their goals. The study also found significant impacts among non-users, a group that includes former users, a largely unexplored dimension of public access. These findings challenge a commonly held notion that public access is solely a stepping stone to private access.

Free access to computers and the internet at public libraries: International reflections on outcomes and methods

The Internet and computer technology have radically changed the way people live around the world. Public libraries have been at the forefront of championing digital inclusion through partnerships with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, other international and national organizations, government, and their own communities. As a result, virtually every library in the United States, as well as many libraries in other countries, provides access (often free) to computers and the Internet. Similar to information and communication technologies (ICTs) and sometimes called public access computing (PAC), this access essentially encompasses access to digital resources, databases, networked and virtual services, training, technical assistance, and technology-trained staff. Little research has been conducted, especially from a social policy perspective, on the broad impacts of these services on individuals, families, communities and nations. Discussion is also needed regarding how to study public access to computers and the Internet in libraries, highlighting the challenges of using mixed methods and team research. This technical panel comprises researchers from The Information & Society Center of the University of Washington Information School and Oslo University College, who are conducting several synergistic investigations of the impacts of access to computers and the Internet at libraries around the world. Upon introducing their respective studies (abstracts below), the panelists will engage the audience in an open discussion of the following questions. Note: The audience will “sign-in” at the ASIST AM09 session and the ensuing discussion will be posted on the UW iSchool ISC website to document/promote future dialog with the global ICT-PAC community. Session Discussion Questions What does “public access computing in libraries” mean in different geo contexts? What other terms are used for it? What impact does PAC have on individuals, families and society, over the short and long term? What difference does it make when libraries (as opposed to other venues) provide PAC? What are the challenges to studying PAC? What are the policy implications of PAC?