Human-Computer Interaction for Development (HCI4D): The Southern African Landscape

Abstract

In this study, research collaboration in the context of South African Information and Communication for Development (ICT4D) researchers was investigated using a mixed methods approach. South Africa, a country with stark development challenges and on the other hand a well-established ICT infrastructure, provides an appropriate context for ICT4D research. Firstly, a quantitative analysis of South African research collaboration between 2003 and 2016 was conducted to determine the existing research collaboration patterns of South African ICT4D researchers. This is based on the publications in three top ICT4D journals namely the Electronic Journal of Information Systems in Developing Countries (EJISDC), Information Technologies & International Development (ITID), and Information Technology for Development (ITD). The results show that most co-authored papers were intra-institutional collaborations, with limited inter-institutional collaboration between South African authors or between South African and other African authors. Secondly, interviews were conducted with South African researchers who emerged as inter-and intra-institutional collaborators to gain insight into the technology, drivers and barriers affecting South African research collaboration. We report our findings and discuss the implications for employing research collaboration as a mechanism for addressing inequality and supporting inclusion.

Reviewing a Decade of Human-Computer Interaction for Development (HCI4D) Research, as One of Best's "Grand Challenges"

“…It should be noted that publications focused on developing-world research often have authors based in developed countries (see Bai, 2018;Van Biljon & Renaud, 2019). Figure 3 demonstrates that most (67.5%) of the lead authors in our corpus of literature are based in the US, Europe, Australia, and Canada, i.e., outside the developing world.…”

Chasing Lions

“…Winschiers-Theophilus et al [37] previously discussed how "storytelling, inclusive decision making and participatory community meetings are key features in traditional rural African communities," and how these participatory practices need to be considered when conducting co-design in this region to "guide a closed group towards a design output." A recent survey showed that prior research in the region often focused on specific user groups, such as under-served populations, or specific use cases [36]. Other research has recommended the inclusion of early and frequent feedback from multiple diverse stakeholder as important strategies to keep projects relevant to their end-user [16,31].…”

Chasing Lions: Co-Designing Human-Drone Interaction in Sub-Saharan Africa

“…Winschiers-Theophilus et al [37] previously discussed how "storytelling, inclusive decision making and participatory community meetings are key features in traditional rural African communities," and how these participatory practices need to be considered when conducting co-design in this region to "guide a closed group towards a design output." A recent survey showed that prior research in the region often focused on specific user groups, such as under-served populations, or specific use cases [36]. Other research has recommended the inclusion of early and frequent feedback from multiple diverse stakeholder as important strategies to keep projects relevant to their end-user [16,31].…”