Dominican Republic
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PUBLIC ACCESS TO INFORMATION & ICTs PHASE II REPORT Dominican Republic Prepared for the University of Washington, Center for Information & Society. Kemly Camacho (Research Coordinator) [email protected] Francia Alfaro (Report’s Author) [email protected] José Pablo Molina (Report’s Author) [email protected] Preliminary version: Feb 15, 2008 Draft 1: June 15, 2008. Final Report: August 17, 2008 i University of Washington Center for Information & Society 4311 11th Avenue NE, Suite 400 Box354985 Seattle, WA 98195 USA www.cis.washington.edu [email protected] © 2008 University of Washington Center for Information & Society (CIS). The views expressed in this report are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the University of Washington or CIS. Recommended citation: Alfaro, F., Molina, J.P., and Camacho Jiménez, K. (2008). Public access to information & ICTs: Dominican Republic. Public Access Landscape Study final report, presented by Sulá Batsú to University of Washington Center for Information & Society (CIS), Seattle. ii Table of Contents The table of contents is generated automatically. Right-click on it and select “update field” to update page numbers. Extended Executive Summary .................................................................................................. 8 1.1 Research Project Overview ................................................................................................... 8 1.2 Introduction .......................................................................................................................... 8 1.3 Country Overview ................................................................................................................. 8 1.4 Research Rationale, Sample, and Methods............................................................................ 9 1.5 Information Needs of Underserved Communities ............................................................... 10 1.6 Strengths, Weaknesses, and Opportunities in Key Public Access Venues ............................. 10 1.7 Salient Findings ................................................................................................................... 11 1.8 Key Recommendations ....................................................................................................... 12 2 Methodology .................................................................................................................. 13 2.1 Venue Selection .................................................................................................................. 13 2.1.1 Venues studied ...................................................................................................................................... 13 1.1.1 Other experiences of public access to information that are not quite “venues” .................................. 15 1.1.2 Other existing public access venues, not included in this study ............................................................ 15 1.2 Inequity Variables ............................................................................................................... 16 1.2.1 Socio‐economic status ........................................................................................................................... 16 1.2.2 Educational level ................................................................................................................................... 17 1.2.3 Age ......................................................................................................................................................... 17 1.2.4 Gender ................................................................................................................................................... 18 1.2.5 Location ................................................................................................................................................. 18 1.2.6 Other inequity variables ....................................................................................................................... 19 1.3 Data Gathering Techniques ................................................................................................. 19 1.3.1 Literature review ................................................................................................................................... 19 1.3.1.1 Most useful bibliography: ............................................................................................................. 19 1.3.2 Individual interviews ............................................................................................................................. 22 1.3.3 Group interviews and focus groups ...................................................................................................... 22 1.3.4 Site visits ................................................................................................................................................ 23 1.3.5 Surveys .................................................................................................................................................. 24 1.3.6 Other data gathering techniques .......................................................................................................... 26 1.3.7 Most useful contacts ............................................................................................................................. 26 1.4 Research Trustworthiness and Credibility ........................................................................... 27 1.4.1 Research limitations .............................................................................................................................. 27 1.4.2 Team qualifications ............................................................................................................................... 27 2 Country Assessment ....................................................................................................... 29 2.1 Overall Country Assessment ............................................................................................... 29 iii 2.2 Real Access Framework ....................................................................................................... 29 2.2.1 Access .................................................................................................................................................... 29 2.2.2 Capacity ................................................................................................................................................. 30 2.2.3 Environment .......................................................................................................................................... 30 2.3 Information Needs of Underserved Communities ............................................................... 31 2.3.1 Information sources ............................................................................................................................... 32 2.3.2 Key barriers to accessing the information that underserved communities need ................................. 33 2.3.3 Ways users experience different types of public access venues ........................................................... 33 2.3.4 Inequity environment in the country ..................................................................................................... 33 2.3.5 Freedom of press and expression and the right to information ............................................................ 34 2.4 Charts: Information Needs, Users, and Uses ........................................................................ 34 2.4.1.1 Users, by type of venue................................................................................................................. 35 2.4.1.2 Information People Seek, by type of venue .................................................................................. 37 2.4.1.3 Uses of ICT, by type of venue ........................................................................................................ 38 2.4.1.4 Frequency of Use for each type of venue ..................................................................................... 39 2.4.1.5 Barriers to use for each type of venue .......................................................................................... 40 2.4.2 Salient initiatives to help meet critical information needs by underserved communities ................. 41 2.4.2.1 Past initiatives: ............................................................................................................................. 41 2.4.2.2 Ongoing initiatives: ...................................................................................................................... 41 2.4.2.3 Historical trends and opportunities to serve information needs ............................................... 42 2.4.2.4 Planned initiatives: ....................................................................................................................... 42 2.5 Economic, Policy, and Regulatory Environment ................................................................... 43 2.5.1 National and local economic environment .......................................................................................... 43 2.5.2 National and local policy (legal and regulatory) environment .............................................................. 43 2.5.3 Regional and international