Access To Information Technology Research Articles

FAKTOR-FAKTOR PENENTU KEMISKINAN DI INDONESIA: ANALISIS RUMAH TANGGA

The purpose of this study is to provide an overview of poverty in Indonesia by mapping the provinces based on economic growth and poverty rate as well as knowing the determinants of poverty in Indonesia with analysis at household level. The analysis used secondary data from Indonesia’s Central Bureau of Statistic and Susenas (National Sosioeconomic Survey) in March 2012. Based on poverty mapping, the provinces are divided to four quadrant and the analysis on 2007 and 2012 show quadrant position change of some provinces. There are provinces that getting better, those are Central Java and Maluku while North Sumatera, Banten, West Kalimantan, South Kalimantan, and South Sumatera show the worse condition. Analysis determinants of poverty measures probability of a household to be poor using logit regression model find that household characteristics likes sex of household head, age of household head, number of household member, employment status of household head, access to credit, education of household head, access of information and communication technology, and locational (rural/urban) significantly affect the poor status of household in Indonesia.

Report on NTCIR-12

This is a report on the NTCIR-12 conference held in June 2016, in Tokyo, Japan. NTCIR-12 is the twelfth sesquiannual research project for evaluating information access technologies that organizes a diverse set of tasks related to information retrieval, question answering, and natural language processing. The NTCIR-12 conference is a venue in which task organizers and task participants presented their effort on their participating tasks, and attracted 236 participants from 21 countries/regions in this round. This report introduces the highlights of the conference, describes the scope and task designs of nine tasks organized at NTCIR-12, and provides a brief introduction to NTCIR-13, which started from June 2016 and will be closed in December 2017.

Understanding factors influencing information communication technology adoption behavior: The moderators of information literacy and digital skills

Digital inequality is one of the most critical issues in the “information age”, few studies have examined the social inequality in information resources and digital use patterns. In the rural areas, such information communication technology (ICT) facilities could not guarantee that users can easily access information technology and overcome the so-called “digital divide.” This research aims to discover the psychological factors that influence information and communication technology (ICT) adoption behavior, as well as confirm whether “information literacy” and “digital skills” have moderator effects in the research model. Using a survey of 875 participants and a structural equation modeling approach, we find that task characteristics and social interaction improve media richness, media experience, and media technostress, which in turn enhance ICT adoption behavior. The proposed theoretical model shows that the impact of ICT adoption behavior is moderated by information literacy and digital skills. The findings of this research can offer guidelines for policy makers and educators who evaluate a community's ICT adoption behavior so as to provide proper access to ICT and promote its visibility by incorporating ICT in educational activities.

Health Information Services and Technology Access during and after a Disaster: Lessons Learned by Public Librarians in South Carolina

ABSTRACTA situation-specific case study was conducted to identify health information services and technology access during and after the October 2015 catastrophic flooding in South Carolina. Using a framework for risk communication preparedness and implementation recommended by public health experts, this study investigates public libraries and their legitimacy as partners of public health agencies during and after a disaster. The methodology includes focus group meetings and a one-on-one interview. Preliminary results reveal essential health information and technology access needs. It is recommended that public libraries be proactively prepared to provide reliable disaster and health digital resources for adult users.

Defying ideological misconceptions through information and communication technology localisation in Higher Education

This article seeks to provide a critique on various ideological misconceptions regarding the integration of information and communication technology (ICT) and African languages in higher education. It further seeks to provide insight into various ICT localisation opportunities within the higher education domain. Many institutions of higher learning in South Africa have developed multilingual policies that are founded upon various national, regional and international provisions in order to promote the status of African languages. The low profile of African languages in these institutions, among other factors, could be attributed to negative ideological misconceptions that reinforce the hegemony and status of English in higher domains. These languages are often viewed as incapable of expressing technical terms, although they inherently possess the capacity to function in any given context, just as any other language can, and their multiplicity should be viewed not as problematic, but rather as resource and evidence of Africa’s rich linguistic and cultural diversity. Given the high levels of utilisation, spread and accessibility of information and communication technologies (ICT) in higher education institutions, the integration of African languages with ICT could be of paramount significance in revitalising them.

Postural risks and musculoskeletal discomfort of three preferred positions during laptop use amongst students

The need to access information technology in modern day occupations has encouraged the use of laptops on a daily basis. It is assumed that using a laptop in a static position over a prolonged period of time may cause postural risk as well as musculoskeletal discomfort. A previous study identified 3 most preferred positions assumed during laptop use. This study investigates the postural risk involved during laptop use by students while assuming these 3 preferred positions. It also investigates the musculoskeletal discomfort experienced by students during laptop use as well as the methods students employ to alleviate this discomfort. A quantitative, cross-sectional study design was used amongst a sample of 72 third year academic students from the University of the Free State. Data were collected by means of a self-administered questionnaire and the Rapid Upper Limb Assessment tool (RULA). For all 3 positions, 69.1% of participants scored in the postural risk category 3-4, indicating a low postural risk. Most participants (62.5%, n=45) experienced musculoskeletal discomfort with regard to pain or numbness, stiffness and spasms with 95% CI for prevalence [51.0%; 72.8%]. Stiffness in the neck was experienced by 47.2% (n=34) participants and spasms in the neck experienced by 44.4% (n=32). Tendencies and statistical significant differences are indicated between genders for adaptations made during laptop use. A recommendation for further study could be to investigate the postural risk involved while the students assume their most preferred posture within the 3 positions. Key words: laptop, university students, Rapid Upper Limb Assessment (RULA), postural risk, musculoskeletal discomforts

Making a Difference: Patient Centred, Integrated Care in a General Practice Setting

Introduction: New Zealand’s population is growing, ageing and living longer with ensuing increases in chronic disease. At the same time, the healthcare system is under increasing financial and workforce pressure due to the pattern of demand. Sustainable intervention and new models of care are needed to meet and manage this demand and improve efficiency and effectiveness. This project is a government funded, year-long demonstration of a new model of integrated and patient-centred care that is delivered in primary care settings which supports and empowers patients with chronic disease to successfully manage their conditions.Project description: An integrated model based on care planning where health goals are set in partnership with patient and clinician is being demonstrated in two general practices with different geographical locations, patient populations and business models. A shared information technology platform and access to multidisciplinary input is designed to enable coordinated management while flexible funding allows individualised interventions and more effective and patient-centred care. Emphasis has been placed on the change management processes and business modelling required to sustainably implement the model with transferrable lessons captured to inform the roll out of future initiatives.Key findings: The shift from a traditional business model to an integrated and patient-centred care model requires considerable change support. It has been more successful with active and visible ‘executive’ sponsorship from within the practice, along with a dedicated change management coach. The model works best when implemented as a whole practice approach. It requires clear and effective internal communication and on-going training for all roles.Quality care planning that incorporates psycho-social needs alongside the traditional medical focus and coordination of appropriate services is contributing to valuable patient outcomes. These include better engagement and patient experience, medication adherence, preliminary reductions HbA1c levels and continuity of care, among other benefits.Highlights: Improved patient outcomes and stories are evident, for example; HbA1c reductions through ascertaining barriers to healthy eating (e.g. lack of an oven at home), or phobia of needles causing the patient to not want to take insulin.The pace of change that can be achieved when you have an executive sponsor who can commit resources and get the practice team involved, on-board and engaged has been a highlight.Conclusion: The approach is demonstrating improved patient outcomes. Implementation of a model of this scope requires investment in change management as well as consideration of the financial and time impacts on privately owned general practices; and has been specifically implemented in order to achieve sustainability and transferability.

Influence of performance expectancy on commercial farmers’ intention to use mobile-based communication technologies for agricultural market information dissemination in Uganda

Purpose This paper to examine the relationship between performance expectancy and behavioural intention to use mobile-based communication technologies for agricultural market information dissemination in Uganda. Design/methodology/approach A descriptive field survey method was adopted. A total of 302 commercial farmers and agribusiness traders in Eastern Uganda participated in the study from whom data were collected using self-administered questionnaires. Descriptive statistics, factor analysis, correlation and regression analyses were used in the study. Findings The findings reveal a significant positive relationship between performance expectancy and behavioural intentions to use mobile-based communication technologies for agricultural information access and dissemination. This implies that, commercial farmers’ behavioural intentions to use mobile-based communication technologies for agricultural market information dissemination and access will be influenced if they anticipate mobile-based communication technologies to offer greater performance in their daily transactions. Research limitations/implications This study was conducted in the context of resource constrained countries particularly in sub-Saharan Africa, however reflecting knowledge from other contexts. The study was conducted with a structured questionnaire being the main data collection tool, and this limited the study from collecting views outside the questions asked in the questionnaire. The variables studied could not be analysed for a long time, given that the study was cross-sectional in nature. Practical implications The study provides recommendations on how to further boost farmers’ behavioural intentions to use mobile-based communication technologies for agricultural information dissemination. Policy makers need to ensure that policies are put in place that encourage third party software developers and telecommunication companies to provide software products and solutions that are beneficial to the commercial farmers and can enable them complete their agricultural transactions in time. Social implications The study provides critical literature on the influence of performance expectancy on commercial farmers’ behavioural intentions to use mobile-based communication technologies for agricultural market information access and dissemination in resource constrained settings. Originality/value It is noted that farmers in Uganda are slowly progressing to newer mobile information and communication technology tools for market information access and dissemination; however, little is known as to why there is slow adoption of these mobile technologies for agricultural purposes; yet policy makers need to come up with proper strategies to encourage wide scale use of mobile technologies for agricultural market purposes.

Technology Access and Use, and Their Associations With Social Engagement Among Older Adults: Do Women and Men Differ?

To examine how information and communication technology (ICT) access and use are conceptually incorporated in the Successful Aging 2.0 framework. Using data from the 2011 National Health and Aging Trends Study (N = 6,476), we examined how ICT access and use for different purposes are associated with social engagement (i.e., informal and formal social participation) by gender. Weighted logistic regression analyses were performed. Findings revealed that men were more likely to access and use ICT than women. ICT access was positively associated with all types of women's social engagement, but only with men's informal social participation. Information technology (IT) use for health matters was positively associated with formal social participation for women and with informal social participation for men. IT use for personal tasks was negatively associated with formal social participation for older adults. Communication technology use was positively associated with formal and informal social participation for women and men. This study supports the expansion of the successful aging model by incorporating ICT access and use. Further, it assists in the identification of specific technologies that promote active engagement in later life for women and men.

Taking advantage of spontaneous speech for document retrieval: Lessons from the organization of evaluation tasks

This work reports our experiments on organizing evaluation tasks aiming at spoken document retrieval (SDR). The NTCIR Project is a series of evaluation workshops designed to enhance research in information access technologies by providing reusable test collections and a forum for researchers. The author's group has proposed the evaluation tasks for SDR at the NTCIR from 2010. They resulted in holding the four successive evaluation tasks called SpokenDoc-1 and 2, and SpokenQuery&Doc-1 and 2. In the SpokenDoc tasks conducted from 2010 to 2013, we designed and evaluated the SDR tasks targeting spontaneously spoken speech. Based on this data collection, we conducted two subtasks: the spoken term detection subtask and the spoken content retrieval subtask. After two rounds of them, we enhanced our research focus with the query part of information retrieval. In the SpokenQuery&Doc tasks conducted from 2013 to 2016, we investigated the information retrieval systems that take advantage of a spontaneously spoken qu...

I finanziamenti europei per la ricerca

Abstract non disponibile

The European Funding for Research

Among the eleven strategic objectives of the Common Strategic Framework established by the European Union, there are several key issues related to the development of research in Europe. The topics identified by the EC concern the strengthening of research, technological development and innovation and the improvement of access, use and quality of information and communications technology and of the investment in the skills and in continuous learning. The EC, to ensure the achievement of these objectives, arranges financing plans that can be accessed by the different countries, with specific procedures for the selection of the projects. It is fundamental, in a context of severe shortage of public funding for Italian research, to know what are the opportunities of the financing plans proposed by the EC and what are the ways to have access to these funds. The opportunities offered by the announcements of European funding are strategic and concrete ways for the development of a high level of nursing research i...

Technology-enabled value co-creation: An empirical analysis of actors, resources, and practices

How do economic actors in complex business-to-business (B2B) service systems co-create value when resource exchange is contingent on available and accessible Information and Communication Technology (ICT)? In this paper, we draw on findings from a multiple case study of the consulting industry to provide empirical insights into the nature of these technology-enabled value co-creation processes. Our analysis demonstrates that technology-enabled value co-creation processes are complex interactions between interdependent actors who perform any of eight distinct roles. Specifically, our theoretical contribution consists of five propositions that define the roles of actors (who?), resources (what?), and practices (how?) underlying technology-enabled value co-creation in complex B2B service systems. This exploratory study establishes a foundation for future research, and offers managerial guidance in this increasingly important area.

The science (and art) of medicine

The science (and art) of medicine

Abstract NS1: Access and Use of Information Technologies Among Hypertensive Older Adults to Reduce Stroke Risk

Introduction: Information technology could play a crucial role in enhancing hypertension self-care and reduction of stroke risk, but, little is known of the role and impact of access and use of information technology on blood pressure (BP) control in older adults. Hypothesis: Access and use of information technologies will be associated with increased adherence to self-care activities and BP control in hypertensive older adults? Methods: In this cross-sectional, descriptive study, a total of 151 participants completed a survey to assess hypertension self-care activities, technology utilization, and BP knowledge. Clinical measures were obtained by trained assistants (height, weight and BP). Three BP measurements were obtained at 60-second intervals after resting for 5 minutes. A Pearson product-moment correlation coefficient was used to assess the relationship between information technologies and self-care activities. Results: The mean age of participants was 75 years. Participants were predominantly women (61.7%), retired (78.1%), owned cellphones (76.5%), but most did not have internet access at home (59.7%). In bivariate analyses, having a cellphone was positively associated with Diastolic BP (DBP) (r = .20, p < .05), and a preference for receiving text or email reminders (r = .22, p < .05). Computer use was significantly associated with DBP (r = .17, p < .05), BP knowledge (r = .17, p < .05), seeking health information online (r =.49, p < .01), and belief that internet can be helpful to manage BP (r =.45, p < .01). Internet use was significantly associated with DBP (r = .17, p < .05) and BP knowledge (r = .16, p < .05). Conclusion: The use of electronic technology was significantly correlated with lower BP and better BP knowledge. Internet-based hypertension self-care interventions could promote patient involvement and patient centered-care leading to better adherence and BP control to reduce the risk for stroke. Electronic technologies may facilitate clinical data transmission and communication between patients and providers so providers can modify treatment regimens between visits. However, our results suggest that the lack of internet access could limit the feasibility of internet-based interventions to reduce blood pressure in this population.

The Digital Divide

This essay examines the digital divide through the lens of integral human development and identifies strategies for erasing or, at best, mitigating, the chasm. It proceeds in four parts. First, I will introduce the digital divide, identifying critical demographic and sociological data, to demonstrate how more than half of the world is digitally handicapped. Second, I will offer a critical assessment of this inequality from the perspective of integral human development. Next, I will propose the virtue of solidarity as a concrete way to motivate the global community to resolve the digital divide and, in turn, bring access and distribution of information technology in line with the demands of solidarity. Finally, I will demonstrate solidarity in action for integral human development through various in-place practices and long-term proposals for rectifying the technological gap. Since its introduction into the public square thirty years ago, access to the World Wide Web (Web) through the Internet has transformed social communication, commerce, and politics in revolutionary ways. This explosive growth of information communication technology (ICT) is often celebrated as a democratic and participatory medium where everyone is ‘LinkedIn’ on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and other social media platforms. This popular sentiment, however, fails to acknowledge that the transformative impacts of communications technology have been limited in its reach. Such a claim of universal unfettered connectedness is based on an uninformed understanding or a lack of exposure to scientific data. A sizeable portion of the global village remains disconnected entirely from accessing the WEB and enjoying its “significant positive impacts.” While the “new velocity” of communications technology has enhanced the quality of social, economic, and political participation and increased exchanges in all these areas, there is a large portion of the world’s population which does not has or has limited access to the Internet. The socio-economic political construction of what has been termed the “digital divide” has marginalized an often already vulnerable segment of the global 1 This is not to ignore the ways that ICT has impacted cultures and peoples in a negative way. Pope Francis in Laudato Si offers an honest appraisal of ICT teaching that “The social dimensions of global change include the effects of technological innovations on employment, social exclusion, an inequitable distribution and consumption of energy and other services, social breakdown, increased violence and a rise in new forms of social aggression, drug trafficking, growing drug use by young people, and the loss of identity.” (Pope Francis, Laudato Si, retrieved June 23, 2015, http://w2.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/encyclicals/documents/papafrancesco_20150524_enciclica-laudato-si.html, no. 46). While this may be true and well-documented by scholars evaluating some of the significantly challenging imports of ICT on societies, I would argue that overall the positive advancements ICT offers outweigh the negative ones. (See: Carr, Nicholas. The Shallows: What the Internet is Doing to our Brains. [WW Norton & Company, 2011]; Keen, Andrew. Digital Vertigo: How Today's Online Social Revolution is Dividing, Diminishing, and Disorienting Us. [Macmillan, 2012]; Schmidt, Eric, and Jared Cohen. The New Digital Age: Transforming Nations, Businesses, and Our Lives. [Vintage, 2013]; and, Powers, William. Hamlet's blackberry. [HarperCollins, 2010]). 2 Pontifical Council for Peace and Justice, Vocation of the Business Leader: A Reflection, retrieved June 23, 2015, http://Web.pcgp.it/dati/2012-05/04-999999/Vocation%20ENG2.pdf, nos. 11-12. 3 Vocation of the Business Leader: A Reflection, p. 2.

“I Am Not Sure How Much It Will Be Helpful for Me”: Factors for Digital Inclusion among Middle-Class Women in India

The ability of the individual to participate fully in society is increasingly tied to the ability to access and to use digital technologies in a meaningful way for social, political, and economic participation, making digital inclusion a key component of modern social justice. This article explores digital inclusion issues beyond physical access to digital information technology. The research is based on a series of in-depth interviews with women in Kerala, India, who have had access to digital information technologies for at least 5 years. The collected data were analyzed for evidence of factors beyond physical access to technology and basic literacy skills that affect information and communication technology access and use.

ASSESSMENT OF AVAILABILITY, ACCESSIBILITY AND UTILIZATION OF INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY RESOURCES IN CONTENT DELIVERY AMONG LECTURERS IN FEDERAL COLLEGES OF EDUCATION IN NIGERIA

This paper aimed at assessing the availability, accessibility and utilization of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) resources in content delivery among lecturers of FCEs in Nigeria. Three research questions were drawn to guide the study. A Survey research design was adopted in conducing the study. The population of the study comprises of all the lecturers in Federal Colleges of Education in Nigeria. They are five thousand and seventy one (5,071) in number. A sample size of eight hundred and forty three (843) lecturers was used for the study. They were selected using cluster, simple random and proportional sampling techniques. A modified questionnaire tagged Teachers ICT usage survey from the ICT Survey Indicator for teachers and staff developed by both UNESCO (2004) and the New Zealand Ministry of Education (MINEDU) (1999) was used for data collection. Frequency count was used to answer research questions. The findings of this study revealed that ICT resources are not available in Federal Colleges of Education in Nigeria. It was also revealed that ICT resources which were supposed to be used in content delivery in FCE were not accessible. This study recommends, among others, that the Government, NCCE and the managements of FCE should join hands to ensure that computer laboratories are available in FCE in Nigeria with adequate functional computer hardware and software and functional internet facilities that will enhance the standard of content delivery.

Impact of the Digital Divide on Computer Use and Internet Access on the Poor in Nigeria

<p>We recruited 20 community members in Ido Local Government Area, Oyo state and Yewa Local Government Area, Ogun state in Nigeria to explore experiences and perceptions of Internet access and computer use. Face-to-face interviews were conducted using open-ended questions to collect qualitative data regarding accessibility of information and communication technology. Twenty low-income community members volunteered to participate in the study. The results centered around affordability of computers and Internet access, exposure to information on the Internet, increasing access to the Internet, training on computer use, benefits for job searching, and networking. The results indicated the lack of Internet access, affordability of computers and Internet usage, poverty, lack of computer skills, and poor infrastructures were contributors to the digital divide.</p>

E-inclusion Process and Societal Digital Skill Development

Abstract Nowadays, the focus shifts from information and communication technology access to skills and knowledge. Moreover, lack of digital skills is an obstacle in the process of learning new digital competences using technologies and e-learning. The objective of this research is to investigate how to facilitate students to use the acquired digital skills in practice and to evaluate the impact of students’ previous knowledge level. Based on the e-inclusion digital skills model, the author develops two research questions: How students’ previous experience impacts practical usage of the acquired ICT skills and How students’ self-assessment correlates with practical usage of the acquired ICT skills. The research employs student-centred learning theory, where the learning process is based on students’ active action, experience and values. The research is based on a literature review and one case study. The results of this study confirm the relationship of the e-inclusion digital skills model with the knowledge level acquired and its usage.