Data Collection Instruments For Info Ecology Study :D

Public Access Computing Ecosystem: Data Collection Instruments
R. Gomez 2010
Public Access Computing Ecosystem
Data Collection Instruments

Ricardo Gomez, University of Washington Nov 2010
Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial
Overview This document contains the data collection instruments used in the in-depth study of public access computing in Colombia. It is offered as a sample tool to adapt by others who want to do similar studies elsewhere, as long as you mention the source. This is the schematic representation of the set of instruments. Each one includes the number of respondents we used, main purpose, selection criteria, and who conducts them.
Expert Interviews (10)

Public Access Context and Impact; SWOT of venue types
Operator Interviews (100)

Role of Infomediaries SWOT of venues Users and uses local impact
Personal History interviews (10)

Motivations Uses Impact
User Surveys (1000)

User Profiles Uses Role of Infomediaries Impact Representative Sample (all venues, urban/rural) include gender, age, ethnic diversity
Focus Group Workshops (5)

info Ecosystem needs and uses relation w other media impact
Thematic experts (academia, NGO, government)
ICT operators in Libraries, Telecentres, Cybercafes
Interesting stories, identified by local allies, surveys or workshops
Local users & operators community leaders other media
Lead Researchers
Lead Researchers Local Allies
Lead Researchers Lead Researchers Local Allies Field workers Lead Researchers
R. Gomez 2010
Contents
1. 2. Expert Interviews .................................................................................................................................. 3 Operator Interviews .............................................................................................................................. 4 Operator Interview Guide ..................................................................................................................... 5 3. 4. Personal History Interviews .................................................................................................................. 8 User Surveys.......................................................................................................................................... 9 User Survey Instrument ...................................................................................................................... 10 5. Focus Group Workshop....................................................................................................................... 12
R. Gomez 2010
1. Expert Interviews
Number of Respondents: 10 Selection Criteria: 5 Thematic Experts: experts in field of public access ICT from academia, NGO or government, with expertise on telecentres, libraries or cybercafs. Balance between sectors and areas of expertise. Expertise based on publications, personal knowledge, and/or participation in local networks. 5 Community Leaders in grassroots communication activities in each region, selected by researchers based on their knowledge of the region and its cultural dynamics, their ability to help identify and convene participants for workshops and operator interviews, and their proven ability to help organize logistics for local focus group workshop in each region. These local leaders will help structure other data collection activities, and also be informants as regional experts. Interview Guide: Unstructured, conversational interview; taped, transcribed and anonymized. This is a sample of the topics to cover. Aprox duration: 1 hour Introduction, purpose of the study, permission to tape, voluntary participation, verbal consent. Based on your experience and research, what is the context (environment) in which public access ICT initiatives take place in the country / region? What helps, hinders performance? Who are the main users of these centers? What do you think they are looking for and how are they using ICT in public access centers? What are similarities and differences in users and uses across different types of centers (telecentres, cybercafs, public libraries)? What are the main strengths, weaknesses, threats and opportunities for these types of public access centers? How do they contribute to human development? What is the future of public access computing? Where is this going? How can they be strengthened? Closing remarks
R. Gomez 2010
2. Operator Interviews
Number of Respondents: 100 Selection Criteria: 20 per region, balance between urban & rural. In each region, balance between 3 types of venues (telecentres, cybercafs, libraries). Attention to gender, age, ethnic inclusion Selected by Local Allies, based on their understanding of distribution of venues, types of users and of uses, to include wide variety of experiences, size, location and populations served. Interview Guide: Structured Interview guide, for interviewer to tape and transcribe or take field notes and prepare written account following interview guide. Aprox duration: 30 min.
R. Gomez 2010
Operator Interview Guide

Interviewer: Date: Location: Type of Venue: Code for Interviewee: Description of study, voluntary participation, verbal consent. 1. Questions about Venue
Type of venue
Telecenter type: name: Library Cybercafe
Location of venue
Region: ___________________ Urban: city __________________ Rural: municipality ___________________
How many computers are available (and in working order) for users? What other technology services are available? What other services are offered?
Number of computers Other information technologies offered (circle if offered) Fax Phone Photocopier Printer Scanner Game consoles (Xbox or similar) Long distance calling (skype or similar, Other ________________
webcam: yes
no)
Other services offered (circle if offered)
Food & beverage Computer Training Other training (non-computer): _______________ Child care Meeting rooms Books, magazines, periodicals Other information resources: ___________________
R. Gomez 2010
2. Questions about Information and Content

What is your perception of information people most seek at this venue (estimate)?
___% Education ___% Health ___% Agriculture ___% Government services ___% Entertainme nt ___% News ___% Personal ___% Other: _________ ___% Other: _________
What is your estimate of ICT activities users most frequently do at this venue?
___% Email ___% Chat ___% Web browsing ___% Blogs & social networking ___% Commerce & business ___% Phone or webcam ___% Games ___% Other: ___________ ___% Other: ___________
What is your assessment of the frequency of use at this venue (approximate estimate)?
___% First time ___% Rarely
(less than monthly)
___% Occasional
(about once a month)
___% Regular
(about 2-3 per month)
___% Frequent
(about once a week)
___% Daily
(about every day)
What do you feel are the biggest barriers for users accessing information at this venue?
Location, distance Hours of Operation Cost Operators Lack of training Users Lack of training Not enough computers Not enough services Not in right language Not enough speed and quality connection Other: ___________
3. Questions about Users

Number- approximately how many people use this venue each day (on average)?
Number of users per day
Do you have a database of your users? Do you register your users? Gender - Approximately what percentage of users are male or female?
___% Male ___% Female
Education Level - formal education completed by users (your best estimate):

___%
education no formal
___%
only
elementary
___%
school
up to high
___% Tecchnical
___%
university
College or
___% Undergraduate studies
Income - What is the approximate percentage of users that are from high/med/low income brackets (estimate, relative to general population in the region)?
___% High ___% Medium ___% Low Dont know/NA
Age What is the approximate percentage of users from each of these age brackets (estimate)
___% Children (under 15) ___% youth (16-25) ___% young adults (26-35) ___% Adults (36-45) ___% Mature Adults (46-60) ___% Seniors (61 and over)
Ethnicity (If applicable): What is the approximate percentage of users from different ethnic groups?
___% group ___________ ___% group ___________ ___% group ___________
R. Gomez 2010
4. Questions about Infomediary role
What are the relative strengths of weaknesses of this center in relation to other types of centers in the city/municipality? (compare telecentre, library, cybercaf) How do you learn about the information needs of users in your community? What are some specific actions / behaviors you do to help better serve local information needs? What other activities could you do in this venue to better serve the information needs of the users? 5. Questions about Perceived Impact
In your experience and observation, how does public access to ICT change peoples lives? How does public access to ICT help users get better employment/income? How does public access to ICT help community development?
6. Questions about Future What is the future of public access computing in this center or in this city/municipality?
Other comments: Thanks, Closure Interviewer remarks:
R. Gomez 2010
3. Personal History Interviews

Number of Respondents: 10 Selection Criteria: 10 individuals (users, maybe some operators), selected because of their personal experience as discovered by Local Allies, operators or survey respondents. Compelling personal history of transformation, motivation, or vision of ICT for development. Personal History Interview Guide: Unstructured, conversational interview; taped, transcribed and anonymized. This is a sample of the topics to cover. Aprox duration: 2 hours Introduction, purpose of the study, permission to tape, voluntary participation, verbal consent. How did you start using ICT? When? What made you get started? What has changed in your life as a result of using ICT in public places? Probe for intangible impacts, self esteem, aspirations How do you think others in your community can better make use of ICT in public access places? How do you think public access places can better serve the needs of people in your community?
Closure, Thanks
Interviewer remarks:
R. Gomez 2010
4. User Surveys
Number of respondents: 1000 Selection criteria: Representative sample, roughly 200 per region; attention to gender equity, and distribution of different types of venues, and of rural/urban venues. Attention to inclusion of age variables (elders), and ethnic variables where relevant.
Procedure: This is a very short survey questionnaire that can be quickly answered verbally by users of public access venues, and notes taken by researcher or field worker. For each type of venue (ie, public libraries, telecentres, cybercafs), researcher visits the location at least once for about half a day; interviewer selects users (one out of every three or four would be OK) as they exit the venue and invites to spend a few minutes answering these questions. Researcher gains consent, takes note of answers, thanks the respondent, and counts another three or four users exiting the venue to identify next potential respondent. Ideally, researcher would survey at least 20-30 people at each venue, preferably more. The first set of questions is close-ended, requiring only a quick answer from a set of options, plus an open ended question in the end. Answer to open ended question should be preferably taped, if respondent consents. The second set of questions, which includes demographic data, is optional depending on willingness and time.
R. Gomez 2010
User Survey Instrument

Survey Number Venue Type Location (City/municipality, Region) Interviewer Venue Name Urban/Non-urban
Introduction, consent to participate

1. How often do you visit this location?
Rarely (less than monthly) Occasionally (about once a month) Regularly (about 2-3 visits per month) Frequently (about once a week) Daily (about every day)
First visit
2.
If you came here looking for specific information, what kind of information were you seeking? (check all that apply)
Other Health Agriculture Government services Entertainment Employment News Personal (specify) _____________
Education
3.
Email
If ICT services are offered, what ICT activities do you most frequently do at this venue (check most frequent, up to 3)?
Chat Web browsing Blogs & social networking Commerce & business Phone or webcam Games Other (specify) _____________
4.
Location, distance
What do you feel are the biggest barriers for users accessing ICT services and information at this venue?
Hours of Operation Cost Operators Lack of training Users Lack of training Not enough computers Not enough services Not in right language Not enough speed and quality connection Other: ___________
5.
What other public access venues do you use, and how are they different from this one? ______________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________ How has the use of ICT changed your life? (ask permission to tape answer) ______________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________ Additional demographic info, if subjects are willing to share more: Gender Age group:
Senior (61 and over) Male Female
6.
7.
Child (under 15)
Youth (16-25)
Young (26-35)
adult
Adult (36-45)
Mature adult (46-
60)
10
R. Gomez 2010
Education Level - formal education completed:

no formal education elementary only up to high school
Tecchnical
College or university
Graduate studies
Income bracket (approximate, in relation general population in the region):

Low Middle - Average High no answer
Occupation ____________________
Student
Other:
Employee
Self-employed
Homemaker
(non compensated)
Retired
Unemployed work)
(looking
for
Ethnicity (if appropriate) __________________
11
R. Gomez 2010
5. Focus Group Workshop

Number of Workshops: 6 Selection Criteria: 12 Community members selected by Local Allies, with attention to gender balance and ethnic inclusion if appropriate, drawing mainly from users of public access venues, also including local communication leaders, and operators of venues. Purpose: Collect information about information processes and public access computing in the community, as part of assessing the information ecology (needs, practices, interactions), in particular the role played by public access points to ICTs for community development. Number of workshops: Six workshops, one in each of the five regions, plus one for the capital city. In each workshop will involve between 12 and 15 community members. Selection Criteria: Mostly made up of users of public access sites. Include local community leaders, including leaders of community media (community radio, TV, youth organizations, etc) and venue operators, with special attention to gender balance and inclusion of ethnic minorities (if appropriate in the region). Participants Must be members of organizations residing in the community where the workshop is conducted. They know the dynamics of information and communication in the municipality. To achieve a well-attended workshop should be a group of minimum 7 and maximum 15 people. Process The facilitator should encourage discussion among participants, ensuring that everyone can talk, prompt with questions and clarifications as needed, and help participants by writing down notes on board or flipchart as needed. Materials Flipchart paper, masking tape, markers, workshop guide Rationale Characterization of forms and providers of information and communication Tool: List of information and communication spaces in the municipality Description: List of information and communication spaces that have application in the municipality 12
R. Gomez 2010
Information to collect: 1. Identify the amount and the uses of information and communication spaces in the community
Facilitation: Ask participants to identify important locations in the community, important places for communication and information, and their own placement in the community. On this visual map, ask them to identify public access venues (libraries, telecenters, cybercafs, other) and discuss their relative merits and shortcomings. Rank most important venues (for example, venues most visited in the last month) Discuss SWOT analysis for venues Discuss how public access computing transforms life in the community. Probe for concrete examples and orders of magnitude. Probe for negative effects too. Discussion on other technologies, including radio and mobile phones Other topics of interest
Prepare a summary of the workshop to be used in data analysis: 1. Date and location of workshop 2. Facilitator 3. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF PARTICIPANTS (Total number of participants, approximate ages, proportion of men and women, activities performed) 4. COMMENTS FROM PARTICIPANTS (describe process followed and note insightful comments from participants, summarize discussion of topics covered) 5. General comments about workshop.
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Public Access Computing Ecosystem: Data Collection Instruments

Public Access Computing Ecosystem