bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Contribution of Mobile Phones to Rural Livelihoods and Poverty Reduction in Morogoro Region, Tanzania
Authors: Sife Alfred Said , Kiondo Elizabeth , Lyimo‐Macha Joyce G. 
Published: December 2017

AbstractThis study examined the contribution of mobile phones to rural livelihoods and poverty reduction in Morogoro region, Tanzania. The study sample comprised of 310 households, 74 focus group participants and 22 key informants. Data were collected through questionnaire, focus groups, and key informant interviews and were analyzed using SPSS and Nvivo. The findings indicate that mobile phones contribute to reduce poverty and improve rural livelihoods by expanding and strengthening social networks; increase people's ability to deal with emergencies; cut down travel costs; maximize the outcomes of necessary journeys; increase temporal accessibility; and amplify efficiency of activities. The use of mobile phones also reduces costs of doing business and increases productivity by helping rural traders and farmers to secure better markets and prices; and promptly communicate business‐related information. Although they enabled rural communities to generate some income through the sale of mobile phone services, the phones had not made important contribution in this aspect. It is concluded that mobile phones contribute to improve rural livelihoods and reduce poverty by providing rural households with fast and easy modes of communication, thereby increasing their ability to access livelihood assets, undertake diverse livelihoods strategies, and overcome their vulnerabilities.
Twitter as a Rapid Response News Service: An Exploration in the Context of the 2008 China Earthquake
Authors: Li Jessica , Rao H.R. 
Published: December 2017

AbstractMicro‐blogging websites (such as twitter), a new information channel, was widely reported as outperforming the mainstream information channels in numerous ways during the massive 2008 China earthquake, including beating the first official mainstream news released from the USGS to report the initial tremor (BBC May 12 2008). According to Twitter.com, there have been noticeable spikes of twitter usage during disasters and other large events, serving as an extremely powerful and effective fast response news service. This raises some important exploratory questions: What kind of information can micro‐blogging provide regarding disaster news? Of what quality is the information provided by micro‐blogging? Can the modern communication tool – micro‐blogging, replace the mainstream media information channel or merely supplement it in distributing disaster news? How do twitter (and other micro‐blogging services) compare with the mainstream information channels during the different timeframes in terms of information quality and collective intelligence? For this research paper, we will use Twitter as a proxy for micro‐blogging in general, the mainstream media information channel as the benchmark, and the massive 2008 Sichuan earthquake as our research subject. At the time of the Sichuan earthquake, Twitter was universally available in the China mainland. The aim of this exploratory study is to shed some light on how micro‐blogging can provide integrated and speedy information regarding disaster news.
Surface Deformation Monitoring in the Goldfields Ghana Limited Area
Authors: Duncan E. E. , Kuma J. S. , Avane G. 
Published: December 2017

AbstractLarge sets of remotely sensed data can be acquired using satellite communication technology and processed using high performance computers to produce interpreted images of objects on earth. The rapid advancement of remote sensing techniques has enabled these satellites to acquire data of large areas within a relatively short period. This study investigated the application of remote sensing imagery from two different platforms in monitoring land surface deformation in the Goldfields Ghana Limited Tarkwa, area. The results showed that both DInSAR and Intensity Difference Analysis are able to identify land surface deformation due to surface mining. However, it was not possible to pinpoint the location of slope failure without the knowledge of the incident.
M‐pesa: A Case Study of the Critical Early Adopters’ Role in the Rapid Adoption of Mobile Money Banking in Kenya
Authors: Ngugi Benjamin , Pelowski Matthew , Ogembo Javier Gordon 
Published: December 2017

AbstractThis study reviews key factors that led to the phenomenal growth of mobile money banking services in Kenya using M‐PESA, “mobile cash money”, the leading mobile money service provider as a case study. The study considers the outstanding challenges experienced by users, possible solutions and future trends. These aspects are covered through a critical review of existing literature, secondary data and a survey targeting mobile phone users living in the major urban centers, considered to be the early adopters of new technologies in Kenya. Several lessons learnt from the mobile money rollout in this Kenyan experience are identified for future researchers and practitioners.
Bridging the Agricultural Knowledge and Information Divide: The Case of Selected Telecenters and Rural Radio in Tanzania
Authors: Lwoga Edda Tandi 
Published: December 2017

AbstractInformation and communication technologies (ICTs) are important resources for enabling poor farmers to make informed decision regarding their farming activities, especially in the rural areas of developing countries. Effective public access ICTs (telecenters and rural radio) based on farmers needs and with farmers’ rural and socio‐economic constraints can bridge the knowledge and information divide and contribute to agricultural growth. This paper looks at the public access ICTs (telecenters and rural radio) in Tanzania, by assessing their knowledge and information services that focus on supporting farming activities of small‐scale farmers, use of telecenters and barriers faced by telecenters in their knowledge and information services. A qualitative approach was deployed to interview eight telecenter operators, where two of them provided radio broadcasting services. The study found that there was low use of internet for knowledge acquisition, while cell phones were becoming popular for farmers to communicate with telecenter operators and rural radio in case of emergency or advice regarding farming activities. With consistent government funding and conducive regulatory environment, telecenters can develop demand led services and sustain their services by strengthening the following: regular information needs assessments; capacity building; knowledge culture; collaboration among farmers and other related organizations; and utilization of multiple sources of knowledge (such as, ICTs and indigenous communication approaches) in order to meet the disparate farmers’ needs.
Modelling and Assessment of the Effectiveness of Government Information Technologies Value Space Approach with a Public Sector Case Study in Turkey
Authors: Guclu Aydin Nusret , Bilgen Semih 
Published: December 2017

AbstractIn the context of evaluating effectiveness of information systems, the public sector requires a specific approach for measuring indirect benefits such as strategic / political value. There is not yet a holistic approach and no unified adaptive and time‐variant model addressing the problem. A model for assessing both initiatives and ex‐post benefits is needed. In this paper, we describe the Strategic Management Model, developed and partially applied at the Ministry of Finance, Turkey. The model merges public value, strategic goals, service delivery value chain, performance indicators, continuous monitoring and evaluation, and asset management concepts in the Public Financial Management Value Space. This is compliant with Government Finance Statistics, which is the basis for our Public Financial Management Value Space, with dimensions, in which every node and path is defined as an object within this value space. This adaptive model will allow multi‐dimensional assessment, enabling backward traceability, establishing the necessary links between the performance, goals and budget.
Adoption of E‐commerce in Jordan: Understanding the Security Challenge
Authors: Halaweh Mohanad 
Published: December 2017

AbstractSecurity is a consistent barrier to the adoption and implementation of e‐commerce for customers and organisations. Prior research into the adoption of e‐commerce and Internet banking has reported many other challenges and barriers that hinder the acceptance and engagement in e‐commerce transactions. However, few research studies have attempted to address each challenge separately in depth, in the hope of solving the difficulties, making improvements and obtaining insight into each factor/challenge, which will ultimately enhance the adoption of e‐commerce. Therefore, the aim of this paper is to focus on the security challenges by exploring the nature of this factor from both a customer and organisational perspective within Jordan. An interpretive‐qualitative research was adopted in this research, which helps to understand the phenomenon in its natural setting. The results of this research provide decision makers (businesses and IT managers) and companies that run an online business in Jordan insights into the current situation of this factor (security), which will enable them to implement effective strategies to address this factor.
The “I” Between G and C: E‐Government Intermediaries in Developing Countries
Authors: Sein Maung K. 
Published: December 2017

AbstractWhile there has been a rapid growth in e‐Government initiatives in developing countries, whether it has led to providing effective government services to the citizens has remained a question of concern. Evidence suggests that this objective is far from being met. The main hurdle has been that an overwhelming part of the citizens in these countries do not have the capability to either access government information physically or to use it effectively even when they can access it. In this paper, the conjecture is made that linking citizens to government in developing countries require an intermediary. Based on prior articulations of this concept, this paper develops the entity Intermediary and explicates its role in the government to citizen interaction process12.
ICT Evaluation: Are We Asking the Right Questions?
Authors: Gomez Ricardo , Pather Shaun 
Published: December 2017

AbstractThe evaluation of information and communication technologies (ICT) in development activities has metamorphised through different phases in the last 30 years. In this paper we explore the experiences of ICT evaluation in the broad business environment and draw parallels with the ICT for development (ICTD) environment. The paper motivates the need for a fundamental paradigm shift in ICTD evaluation. We argue that it is not sufficient to focus on the easily measurable tangible and quantifiable benefits of ICT. We motivate that the intangible benefits of ICT on development such as empowerment, self‐esteem and social cohesion are more important from a developmental perspective. Consequently, a more detailed exploration of the theoretical and methodological implications of this shift in the ICTD field is warranted.
Managing Risks at the Project Initiation Stage of Large IS Development for HEI: A Case Study in Indonesia
Authors: Moertini Veronica S. 
Published: December 2017

AbstractHigher Education Institutions (HEIs) in Indonesia feel the pressure to provide up to date IT facilities for students, who have been using IT devices and the Internet as part of their life style. One of the facilities needed most is an Academic Information System (AIS) that provides 24/7 access to up to date information and academic transactions. Under the circumstances in 2007, at the HEI of the case study, the AIS must be built in‐house regardless of the HEI's being unprepared to develop large scale information systems (IS). IS project development is known to have high risks, even in developed countries. This makes it even riskier in Indonesia, where organizations are less established than in developed countries. This paper presents the risks faced at the project initiation stage of AIS development project and the methods of managing these risks. The methods proposed have been implemented successfully in the HEI of the case study.
Hopes and Fears in Implementation of Electronic Health Records in Bangladesh
Authors: Khan Sana Z. , Shahid Zahraa , Hedstrom Karin , Andersson Annika 
Published: December 2017

AbstractHealth is seen as a major key for development and many developing country governments invest in ICT‐based Health Information Systems (HIS). The purpose of this paper is to explore physicians’ hopes and fears for implementing Electronic Health Record (EHR) systems in Bangladeshi hospitals. Data was collected through interviews and observations at two Bangladeshi hospitals. We found very little use of EHR systems at the hospitals and many physicians were skeptical of using EHR systems. Whereas this skepticism could be seen as a symptom of backward thinking our analysis found much of this skepticism to be reasonable. In this way this research contributes to the ongoing debate on how to implement HIS in developing countries. We articulate and analyze users’ concerns beyond mere “attitudes” and “acceptance”. Our results show that the fears and concerns on the hospital floors are legitimate and should be taken into consideration when HIS projects are initiated.
ICT Barriers and Critical Success Factors in Developing Countries
Authors: Touray Almamy , Salminen Airi , Mursu Anja 
Published: December 2017

AbstractSince the early 1990s, Information and Communication Technology (ICT) has been perceived as a catalyst for development. However, the UNICEF State of the World's Children Report 2011 acknowledges that the poor in many developing countries remain largely excluded from ICT and its benefits. This paper aims to address three issues. Firstly, identify ICT barriers in the literature from 2000 to 2011. Secondly, identify ICT barriers through empirical findings and thirdly, categorize these barriers into critical success factors. These aims are achieved by comparing the findings in the literature to our recent empirical results. Two methodologies are used in this study, namely, a systematic literature review and a case study; the empirical data for our case study was collected from The Gambia in autumn of 2012. The systematic literature review covers 1107 studies (2000–2011) published in the top five ranked ICT4D journals in terms of journal citation ranking. The paper identifies a total of 43 ICT barriers. Forty of them are common to both studies while the remaining three were revealed in the case study, namely, lack of Internet exchange points, micromanaging and invisible hands. The barriers in both studies are grouped into eight possible critical success factors and their degrees of severity are then compared. This paper argues that lack of Internet exchange points is an important ICT barrier that is overlooked in our review pool.
Impediments to Enterprise System Implementation over the System Lifecycle: Contrasting Transition and Developed Economies
Authors: Soja Piotr , Paliwoda‐Pękosz Grażyna 
Published: December 2017

AbstractThe main goal of this study is to investigate similarities and differences between impediments to enterprise system (ES) implementation in transition and developed economies. The adopted research approach incorporates the system lifecycle and seeks to examine how the difficulties change across the lifecycle phases. The research builds on the opinions of ES practitioners from Poland, a transition economy from Central and Eastern Europe. The main findings illustrate that difficulties experienced by ES adoptions in developed economies seem to concentrate on the project phase where implementation activities are carried out whereas in Polish companies problems tend to span through all the lifecycle phases. The results also suggest that in transition economies practitioners have to deal mostly with system‐related issues across the whole lifecycle. In developed economies, on the contrary, the shift from system‐related to business‐related problems throughout the system lifecycle is observed.
An Information Technology Model for Pharmaceutical Supply Chain Security
Authors: Sultanow Eldar , Brockmann Carsten 
Published: December 2017

AbstractHow to ensure non‐manipulated, original pharmaceutical products to be sold to the final consumer is a matter of national interest. In this contribution we are going to present an approach which combines both information technology as well as process reengineering to ensure pharmaceutical correctness and safety of the drugs sold. Firstly, requirements for a model will be determined. Secondly, existing approaches and their pitfalls are presented. Finally, we will introduce a new model for controlling the security of pharmaceutical supply chains.
Assessing the Use of Information and Communication Technologies for Learning in Emerging Countries
Authors: Ali Mazen , AlHinai Yousuf Salim 
Published: December 2017

AbstractWith globalization and the revolutions in Information and Communication Technologies (ICT), the world economy has undergone fundamental re‐structuring from an industrial economy to a one that is based on knowledge facilitated by innovative technologies. Given the capability of Information Technology to dramatically increase the amount and timeliness of information, the implication of ICT on emerging countries, as producers and users of ICT, became evident. In the education sector, the utilization of ICT in the sharing of knowledge has become an important strategic pillar for economic development in the 21st century. In this area, simulation role‐play games were developed as effective tools to enhance students’ learning process and are increasingly being used to replace traditional role‐play games. However, it is still unclear whether such imported ICT solutions can yield the same expected results in emerging countries. Based on an experimental design involving two groups of students playing the manual and computerized Beer Game, this study aims to examine how imported ICT‐based learning tools can enhance students’ learning compared to methods traditionally used in emerging countries. This study provides useful insights to both researchers and educators interested in understanding the opportunities and challenges in adopting ICT solutions to enhance education sectors in emerging countries.
The Emancipation of the Researcher as Part of Information and Communication Technology for Development Work in Deep Rural South Africa
Authors: Krauss Kirstin , Turpin Marita 
Published: December 2017

AbstractIn this paper the authors contend that if the outsider‐researcher involved in Information and Communication Technology for Development research really wants to make a difference and honestly address the emancipatory interests of the developing community, emancipation has to take place on both sides of the ‘development divide’. Emancipatory research and practice need to be accompanied by an understanding of the researcher‐practitioner's own assumptions, preconceptions, and limitations as well as local concerns, needs, and realities. Using a critical theoretical underpinning, the paper demonstrates how the outsider researcher and practitioner may recquire emancipation in order to ensure more appropriate Information and Communication Technology for Development. Through confessional writing and demonstrating critical reflexivity, the authors reflect on particular instances of self‐emancipation as they present three narratives from the community entry phases of an ongoing community engagement project in a deep rural part of South Africa. Lessons learned include, the value of cultural interpreters as research partners, tactics for community entry, and a self‐reflective approach to doing fieldwork.
Towards an Efficient City Inventory Management System for Urban Authorities in Developing Countries – The Case of 3D Change Detection
Authors: Sharkawi Khairul Hafiz , Rahman Alias Abdul 
Published: December 2017

AbstractAs cities and urban areas grow and become more complex, the task of managing, updating and displaying three‐dimensional urban information can be challenging for city and urban authorities. The emergence of 3D city models has enabled the authorities to work with more reliable and competent data as 3D data (and maps) are proven to be more accurate and relatable in representing real world objects and scenarios. In South East Asia countries such as Malaysia and Singapore, urban development activities are dynamic causing city inventory information to change within short periods of time. The ability to detect and track the changes on building structures located in a city can avoid loss of revenue to the urban authorities as well as improving the efficiency of a city inventory in assisting the decision making process on management level. City inventory management system should be able to store and provide information especially related to the building structure that is needed by the local authority to manage a city efficiently. Current traditional methods utilized by most urban authorities in South East Asia region are inefficient and unable to cope with current complex scenarios in urban areas. This results in some valuable information for building management and information systems being discarded. This research presents a method to boost the efficiency of some aspect in city inventory for local authorities by introducing 3D change detection method on 3D city models. The proposed method is able to detect and analyse changes that occur on 3D buildings using the 3D segmentation approach. A hybrid semantic‐geometric 3D segmentation method that deals with segmentation of a 3D building based on its semantic value and surface characteristics, fitted by one of the predefined primitives is presented. The technique is designed to retain existing semantic and geometric information and ultimately enrich it by adding more specialized information. For future work, the proposed method will be implemented as part of the auto‐updating module that is able to detect any changes on 3D buildings such as storage and retrieval of semantic information of the changed structure, and automatically update the 3D city models for analysis.
Making Distance Learning an Effective Health Information Systems Training Strategy: A Combined Social Network Analysis and Content Analysis Perspective
Authors: Siribaddana P.A. 
Published: December 2017

AbstractHealth Information Systems (HIS) training have been recognized as one of the important aspects of any HIS implementation which contributes to its success or failure. Providing high quality training in low resource settings have been a challenge for many HIS initiatives including for the Health Information Systems Program (HISP) with regard to its DHIS 2 implementations. In order to tackle these challenges, it was decided to introduce online distance training as a supplement to its face‐to‐face training academies. However, the interactions generated within the online training and the perceived knowledge construction was variable in different training instances. Therefore, the study made use of social network analysis (SNA) and content analysis (CA) as tools to understand the type of interactions that took place within such learning instances and the degree of knowledge constructions that was achieved through such interactions. This enabled the study to assess the best practices when utilizing online distance learning for providing HIS training in low resource settings particularly with regard to ‘short’ online training programs. The findings from the study supports the successful utilization of short online learning programs for the said purpose with adaptation of ‘best practices’ to enable participant interactions and knowledge construction.