Leanne Townsend

Enhanced broadband access as a solution to the social and economic problems of the rural digital divide

This article discusses the danger of a growing digital divide between rural and other areas. It presents broadband as increasingly necessary for the delivery of information, health, education, business, social security, public and leisure services. Access to broadband has become vital for rural communities to participate in a progressively digital economy and to overcome problems of physical and social isolation. Yet rural areas are among those most excluded from fast broadband developments. Although this is partly due to technological/economic barriers in reaching more remote locations, even where technology is available, adoption can still be low in rural areas. This article explores the problems of providing broadband in rural Britain, considers various technological approaches and concludes with key development areas for policy and government.

‘Stuck Out Here’ : The Critical Role of Broadband for Remote Rural Places

Abstract In a rapidly evolving digital society, broadband connectivity is increasingly critical. Everyday experiences are mediated by technology, be they related to work, education, leisure or health care; technology impacts at many levels. Access to broadband Internet is considered to be essential to contemporary society. Despite this growing recognition, broadband access is still not ubiquitous across all of the UK, with access being particularly problematic in remote rural areas. This paper considers the role of broadband in the economic and social sustainability of remote rural places. During research which explored the use of broadband and its applications amongst small rural business owners located across rural Scotland, qualitative in-depth interviews explored how interviewees used the Internet in the development of and sustainability of their business activities as well as exploring other forms of use such as those relating to education, leisure and social participation. The findings reveal how broadband access and use can impact on rural business owners, and subsequently contribute to the sustainability of life in remote rural Scotland.

The Rural Digital Economy

LORNA J. PHILIP, LEANNE TOWNSEND, ELISABETH ROBERTS & DAVID BEEL Geography and Environment, School of Geosciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, UK; dot.rural Rural Digital Economy Research Hub, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, UK; Department of Geography and Environmental Management, University of the West of England, Bristol, UK; Department of Geography, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK

Chapter 8: The Ethics of Using Social Media Data in Research: A New Framework

Over the past decade, the number of people engaging with social media has grown rapidly. This means that social media platforms such as Twitter and Facebook are potentially good sources of rich, naturally occurring data. As a result, a growing number of researchers are utilizing these platforms for the collection of data on any number of topics. To date, no consistent approach to the ethics of using social media data has been provided to researchers in this sphere. This chapter presents research that has developed an ethics framework for the use of researchers working with social media data. The chapter also presents the framework itself and guidance on how to use the framework when conducting social media research. A full report can be accessed on: http://www.abdn.ac.uk/socsci/research/new-europe-centre/information-societies-projects-225.php