NWT RESEARCH DATABASE

Regions: Inuvialuit Settlement Region, Gwich'in Settlement Area, North Slave Region

Tags: social sciences, literacy

Objective(s): To conduct surveys on digital technology development, adoption and use through the NWT.

Project Description: The goal of this project is to conduct surveys on digital technology development, adoption and use through the NWT. The focus is on community development and digital literacy in the context of the Indigenous and Northern residents of the NWT. The research team will collect research data through surveys, key informant interviews and focus groups. The first phase of this project focuses on research activities in three communities (Fort McPherson, Tuktoyaktuk, and Wekweeti). This Tides Canada Initiatives project was developed by the DigitalNWT partners, who compose the project Advisory Board and Steering Committee: Inuvialuit Regional Corporation, Gwich’in Tribal Council, Sahtu Renewable Resources Board, Tlicho Government, NWT Computers for Schools, Aurora Research Institute, Aurora College, and University of Alberta. This project's research activities focus on digital technology adoption, development and use in the context of the NWT communities. Data collected through the procedures described in this application will also inform research outcomes (presentations, papers, etc.). Data will be collected from participants through in-person / online / paper surveys conducted in the three communities involved in the first phase of this project. In the three communities surveys will be conducted by a local researcher about digital technology and digital literacy. All research participants will be provided with information about the study, and will indicate their informed consent. Researchers are available to answer questions about the project by phone or in person (local researchers). Information about the project will be provided by DigitalNWT partner organizations in newsletters or other media (e.g. radio), via email and social media, and/or through locally distributed posters. Local coordinators who are supporting the surveys will sign a confidentiality agreement and assist DigitalNWT to support research work. They will then either input survey results into a secure survey program (e.g. Google Forms) and delete paper originals, or mail paper originals to the UAlberta Research team. Local coordinator(s) in Wekweeti will conduct surveys either in a central location or by visiting households and asking residents. Surveys will be completed in-person, by paper, or by using a data collection application such as Open Data Kit (see: https://opendatakit.org/) loaded on a tablet. Public outreach is a core component of this initiative, which heavily involves various NWT-based organizations and communities. The research team will engage with communities through digital literacy workshops and curriculum. The fieldwork for this study will be conducted from June 27, 2019 to December 31, 2019.