How ICT4D Research Fails the Poor

Figures & data

Figure 1. The impact of research on policy and practice.

Table 1. Demographic data of respondents.

		N
Gender
Female	23.60%	62	266
Male	76.40%	204
Age
Under 21	0%	0	266
21–29	12.03%	32
30–39	34.96%	93
40–49	33.08%	88
50–59	12.03%	32
60–69	7.52%	20
70 or older	0%	0
Rather not say	0.38%	1
Education
High school	0.37%	1	267
Diploma	0.37%	1
Graduate	6.37%	17
Masters	49.81%	133
Ph.D.	43.07%	115
Location of current research
Global	11.70%	31	265
North Africa	1.13%	3
Sub-Saharan Africa	29.43%	78
Oceania	2.26%	6
North America	1.51%	4
Central America and the Caribbean	3.40%	9
South America	4.91%	13
Europe	7.55%	20
Southwest Asia (Middle East)	7.55%	20
South Asia	12.45%	33
Southeast Asia	17.74%	47
East Asia	0.38%	1
Current academic position
Student	13.62%	35	257
Research assistant	5.84%	15
Lecturer	20.23%	52
Senior lecturer	11.28%	29
Assistant professor	8.56%	22
Associate professor	10.89%	28
Research fellow	7.78%	20
Professor	7.39%	19
Dean	0%	0
Other	12.45%	32
Rather not say	1.95%	5
Length of time carrying out research in ICT4D
Less than a year	5.26%	14	266
1–3 years	24.06%	64
3–5 years	15.41%	41
5–7 years	19.92%	53
7–9 years	9.02%	24
9–11 years	10.90%	29
11–13 years	3.38%	9
13–15 years	4.14%	11
More than 15 years	7.89%	21

Figure 2. Variable summary values.

Table 2. A summary of the scores for each variable.

Intent to influence	4.10
Understanding of communication with the public	3.91
Understanding of research impact as policy and practice influence	3.81
Cultural affinity with research users	3.69
Extent of engagement with research users	3.67
Understanding of research impact as publications	3.61
Influence of incentives	3.38
Level of consideration of the political context	3.36
Involvement of intermediaries	3.27
Use of ICTs	3.20
Extent of demand for research	3.03
Degree to which considered to be a policy entrepreneur	3.00
Degree of participation in networks	2.93

Table 3. Statistically significant correlations between variables that depict strong positive relationships.

	Cultural affinity	Intent	Communication	Use of ICTs	Intermediaries	Network participation	Political context	Research demand	User engagement
Communication	.430**
	.000
Use of ICTs			.423**
			.000
Network participation				.454**
				.000
Political context						.520**
						.000
Research demand						.455**	.497**
						.000	.000
User engagement		.403**	.421**	.547**	.422**	.466**	.564**	.475**
		.000	.000	.000	.000	.000	.000	.000
Policy entrepreneur	.411**	.372**	.416**	.528**	.416**	.550**	.642**	.476**	.601**
	.000	.000	.000	.000	.000	.000	.000	.000	.000

**Correlation is significant at the .01 level (two-tailed).

Table

Variable	Question
Understanding of research impact as publications	10	The impact of my research is reflected by the impact factor of the journal in which it is reported
	11	The impact of my research is reflected by the number of times it is cited in peer-reviewed journals
	15	My institution emphasizes peer-reviewed publications over communications with the public
	16	My institution assesses my performance on the basis of my publications in peer-reviewed journals
Understanding of research impact as influence on policy and practice	12	The impact of my research is reflected by the influence it has on professional practice
	13	The impact of my research is reflected by the influence it has on policy formulation
	14	Informing the public of my research findings is a legitimate form of scholarship
	17	My institution assesses my performance on the basis of my influence on professional practice
	18	My institution assesses my performance on the basis of my influence on policy formulation
Cultural affinity with research users	19	I spend time interacting with people who can use the findings of my research
	20	My research findings are usually accessible in time for policy decisions
	21	My research findings are usually digestible in time for policy decisions
	22	Research-based evidence is important for shaping policy
	23	Research-based evidence is important for shaping professional practice
Intent to influence	24	When I start an ICT4D research project, I have the intention to use the results to influence professional practice
	25	When I start an ICT4D research project, I have the intention to use the results to influence government policy
Amount of communication with the public	26	I invest time communicating my ICT4D research results to the public in plain language
	27	Communicating the results of my ICT4D research to the public is included in the design of my research
	28	I am willing to communicate the results of my ICT4D research to the public in clear, non-technical language
	29	Being an effective communicator is an important skill for an ICT4D researcher
	30	Communication for development is a discipline that is closely associated with ICT4D
Use of ICTs	31	ICTs are blurring the line dividing academia and journalists/bloggers
	32	I use ICTs to communicate my ICT4D research findings as they unfold
	33	I use social media to communicate my ICT4D research activities
	34	I use social media to communicate my ICT4D research findings
	35	I use Web 2 tools within my ICT4D research work
	36	My institution encourages me to publish my ICT4D research findings online
Involvement of intermediaries	37	I would rather have other individuals or organizations communicate my ICT4D research findings to the public
	38	I try to stay aware of other individuals or organizations that could communicate my ICT4D research findings to the public
	39	When conducting my ICT4D research, I involve other individuals or organizations who can communicate my findings to the public
Degree to which considered to be a policy entrepreneur	40	In my ICT4D research, I invest time and resources in advancing a political position or policy
	41	I keep up to date with who the key political players are in my field of ICT4D research
	42	I spend time synthesizing my ICT4D research findings into simple compelling stories
	43	I put effort into communication programs targeted at policy-makers and/or their advisors
Degree of participation in networks	44	I participate in a national network of ICT4D researchers that also includes practitioners
	45	I participate in a national network of ICT4D researchers that also includes policy-makers
	46	I participate in an international network of ICT4D researchers that also includes practitioners
	47	I participate in an international network of ICT4D researchers that also includes policy-makers
Influence of incentives	48	My institution encourages me to produce ICT4D research outputs that reach a broad section of society
	49	My institution encourages me to effectively engage with users of my ICT4D research findings
Level of consideration of the political context	50	I understand the political context of my ICT4D research work
	51	I am familiar with the methods for accessing politicians
	52	I try to keep myself familiar with the demand for my ICT4D research among policy-makers
Extent of demand for research	53	I participate in activities that are aimed at stimulating the demand for my ICT4D research
	54	I have conducted research into the demand for my ICT4D research
Extent of engagement with research users	55	I make an effort to cultivate relationships with people who can use the findings of my ICT4D research
	56	I encourage the beneficiaries of my ICT4D research to communicate the research findings to the public
	57	I regard engagement with the media as an outlet for my ICT4D research findings as being important for my institution's measurement of my performance
	58	Policy engagement is part of my role as an ICT4D researcher