The Global Impact Study

Communications and knowledge-sharing discussion

In March 2010 Global Impact Study team members working on the in-depth studies, survey, and inventory activities gathered to harmonize impact indicators and discuss the project's approach to communications knowledge sharing. You can download the communications and knowledge-sharing presentation and view photos from the workshop.

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Cognitive testing to improve survey instruments

Our survey implementation teams completed cognitive testing of the venue operator and user surveys at the end of May. Overall, we find no serious problems with the questionnaire instruments, although there are several areas we can improve.

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Survey pilot testing strategy

Our venue operator and user surveys are currently being tested in Bangladesh, Brazil, Chile and the Philippines.

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Research Design: Assessing impact from four complementary angles

Although our basic approach remains the same, we're learning along the way and our thinking is evolving. This post summarizes the updates in our research design, articulated around four basic components: (1) Inventory and surveys that provide a big-picture view, (2) Focused studies of specific mechanisms through which public access impacts livelihoods, (3) An assessment of indirect and aggregated impacts, (4) A look at alternatives and complements to public access, focusing on mobile phones.

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Research design breaks ground in investigating impact

What difference does public access to information and communication technologies (ICT) make in the lives of poor or marginalized people? Years of research have yet to produce concrete evidence of impact — as found in libraries, telecenters, and cybercafés. There is a pressing need for systematic and comprehensive research to identify the downstream impacts, and to provide empirical evidence about the precise link (if any) between public access ICT use and impacts in areas such as health, education, and governance.

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