: Observing the Information Society: What Do We Not Know? Bill Dutton with Hsiao-hui Chen, Martin Dimov, Jianbin Jin Oxford Internet Institute (OII) University of Oxford Presentation for Seminar ‘Observing the Information Society in Portugal: State of the Art, Lisbon, 13 December 2006.

2003 and 2005 Cross-sectional surveys versus panels Probability sample of England, Scotland & Wales Respondents: 14 year olds and older Face-to-face interviews Sponsorship from Hefce, AOL, BT, Ofcom, and Wanadoo (Orange) Oxford Internet Surveys (OxIS)

Fielded in June-JulyFebruary- March Number of respondents 2,0302,185 Response rate 66%72%

The World Internet Project (WIP) - Initiated 2000, UCLA, now at USC - Data for 22 nations (and expanding) - Britain: Oxford Internet Surveys (OxIS) The World Internet Project

 The Development of a Cyberinfrastructure Themes of Social Research

Centrality of the Internet in Britain, Source: Oxford Internet Survey:

 The Development of a Cyberinfrastructure  Digital Divides Shaping Access Themes of Social Research

Source: ______________________________________________________ Percent Internet Use, circa 2005

Source: ______________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________ Percent Internet Users,

Has Internet adoption reached a plateau? Adoption in Britain (2003–2005) OxIS 2003: N=2,029 (All respondents); OxIS 2005: N=2,185 (All respondents)

Broadband connection per household with Internet access ( ) OxIS 2003: N= 1,172 (Households with Internet access); OxIS 2005: N = 1,330 (Households with Internet access)

Source: ______________________________________________________________________ Percent Who Use the Internet: Lowest and Highest Economic Quartiles, circa 2005

Patterns of the Digital Divide in Britain

Digital Divide in Portugal Patterns of Digital Divides in Portugal

Patterns of Digital Divides in Bulgaria Divide in Bulgaria Source: eBulgaria survey, 2005, Vitosha Research £1 = 2,63 BGN

Patterns of Digital Divides in Hong Kong Divide in Bulgaria

Patterns of Digital Divides in Macao Divide in Bulgaria

 The Development of a Cyberinfrastructure  Digital Divides Shaping Access  Digital Choices: Gender and Age? Themes of Social Research

Generally speaking, how interested would you say you are in the Internet (2005) N=2,185 (All respondents)

Source: ____________________________________________________ Internet Use by Gender, circa 2005

Internet Use by Life Stage, Source: OxIS 2003, Number of respondents = 2,030 – OxIS 2005 Number of respondents = 2,185 Pupils: age years and in full time education. Working age: employed of any age and all other persons not in employment up to age 55. Retired: 55 or over and not in employment.

Interest in the Internet by Age N = 2,185 All respondents

Source: ____________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ Internet Use by Age, circa 2003

Source: Internet Use by Age, circa 2005

Places of Access by Age N = 1,309 (Current Internet users)

Always On Broadband N = 1,309 (Current Internet users)

Multi-tasking by Age N = 1,309 (Current Internet users)

 The Development of a Cyberinfrastructure  Digital Divides and Choices Shaping Access  Internet, Google or TV Generation  Divides and Choices in Patterns of Use Themes of Social Research

On average how often do you…..? 1.Several times a day 2.Daily 3.Weekly 4.Monthly 5.Less than monthly 6.Never OxIS 2005 Question

Factors Identified 1) Entertainment (find jokes; play games; download or listen to music; download or watch videos) 2) Information (get information about local events; look for news; look for sport news; check the weather) 3) Banking (paying bills; online banking; investing in stocks or funds) 4) Learning (look up a word definition; look up a fact; look for school information; distant learning) 5) Communication (check ; instant message; send attachments) 6) Planning (make travel plans; look for jobs; book travel online)

e-Communication (2005) N= 1,309 (Current Internet users)

e-Entertainment (2005) N= 1,309 (Current Internet users)

Use for Information by Expertise

e-Information by Age One Way Anova: F = 3.7, Sig =.001

Look for Health Information by Age N = 1,309 Current Internet Users

e-Banking by Age One Way Anova: F = 9.4, Sig =.000

Use for Entertainment by Age

Mean of Entertainment by Gender

Patterns of Use in Britain, 2005

Patterns of Interest in Media Content in Britain, 2005

 The Development of a Cyberinfrastructure  Digital Divides and Choices Shaping Access  Internet, Google or TV Generation  Divides and Choices in Patterns of Use  Developing Trust in an Experience Technology Themes of Social Research

How reliable and accurate would you rate the information found in/on …. ? Source: OxIS 2003, N = 1717, 1965, 1985; OxIS 2005 N = 1507, 1944, 1886

How much confidence you have in the people running … [What about the Internet? How much confidence to you have in the people providing Internet services?] Source: OxIS 2003, Number of respondents = 2,030; OxIS 2005 Number of respondents = 2,185

Please tell me how much confidence you have in the following groups of people …[Most people you can communicate with on the Internet.] Source: OxIS 2003, Number of respondents = 2,030; OxIS 2005 Number of respondents = 2,185

 The Development of a Cyberinfrastructure  Digital Divides and Choices Shaping Access  Internet, Google or TV Generation  Divides and Choices in Patterns of Use  Developing Trust in an Experience Technology  The Societal Impact: Reconfiguring Access Themes of Social Research

 Technological Determinism: Utopian v Dystopian Perspectives on Social Impacts

Providing information online (2005) N= 1,309 (Current Internet users) (e) Proxy use

 Technological Determinism: Utopian v Dystopian  Dual Effects Perspectives on Social Impacts

 Technological Determinism: Utopian v Dystopian  Dual Effects  Substitution Perspectives on Social Impacts

____________________________________________________ Average Number of Hours per Week Watching TV: Internet Users and Non-Users Source:

____________________________________________________ Average Number of Hours per Week Watching TV: Internet Users and Non-Users Source:

“Has the use of the Internet increased or decreased your contact with your family and friends?” (2005) Source:

 Technological Determinism: Utopian v Dystopian  Dual Effects  Substitution  Domestication: Social Shaping of Technology Perspectives on Social Impacts

 Technological Determinism: Utopian v Dystopian  Dual Effects  Substitution  Reinforcement: Social Shaping of Technology  Reconfiguring Access Perspectives on Social Impacts

 Changing Cost Structures  Restructuring the Architecture of Networks  Redistributing Power between Senders-Receivers  Expanding, Contracting the Geography of Access  Creating or Eliminating Gatekeepers  Enabling or Disabling User Control How ICTs Reconfigure Access:

Where would you go first if looking for information on… (2005) N=2,185 (All respondents)

Where would you go first for Information (Name of MP) by Age N = 1,309 (Current Internet users)

Do you read any newspapers or news service online that you do not read in print? (2005) N= 1,309 (Current Internet users)

Met people or made friends online – 2005 N= 1,309 (Current Internet users)

Source: OxIS:

Average Number of Online Friends Met in Person Source: _______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________

Number of Online Friends Never Met in Person Source: ____________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________

Average Number of Online Friends Met in Person: by User Category Source: ____________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________

Average Number of Online Friends Never Met in Person by User Category Source: ____________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________

 Infrastructure v. New Technology  Digital Divides  Digital Choices  Stratification of Age Groups: Generations  Experience Technologies  Reconfiguring Access Emerging Themes of Social Research

 Common Variables v. Identical Questions  Comparison of Within Systems Analyses  Qualitative Visualization v. Quantitative Precision  Multi-trait, Multi-method  Focus on Users v. Population as a Whole Emerging Analytical Strategies

 OxIS (Feb-March) 2007  OII, University of Oxford   oxis at oii.ox.ac.uk