Building Knowledge, Building Community: Integrating Internet Access to Secondary Data as Part of the Community Development Process

Abstract

Too often, the approach to secondary data collection and analysis in community development is to handle it as an activity separate from other participatory processes. Today, as the internet has grown, not only has easy access to online sources of secondary data increased, but the internet itself has opened up the ability of communities to engage in data collection and analysis in new and innovative ways. Engaging communities in building internet-based access to locally relevant data can result in the inter-related outcomes of increased knowledge about one's community and increased local access to community data, while doing it in a way that builds community relationships and local ownership of the results, as well as increased ease with internet technology. Included are suggestions for both the process and product in integrating internet-based data access into local community development.

Keywords:

• community development
• Internet-based access
• situational analysis