Data Usage for Public Policies is Highlight of NIC.br Research Methodologies Week

The event is held annually and promotes training and exchange of experiences

The 5th edition of the NIC.br Research Methodologies Week, organized by the Brazilian Internet Steering Committee (CGI.br) through the Regional Center for Studies on the Development of the Information Society (Cetic.br) and the Center for Studies and Research in Network Technology and Operations (Ceptro.br), both part of the Brazilian Network Information Center (NIC.br), concludes this Thursday (30) after extensive debate and exchange of experiences among researchers, public managers, civil society representatives, and international organizations.

The challenges and importance of data use in public policy formulation were highlights of the event, which also deepened and discussed theoretical and practical concepts in research methodologies. At the opening of the course on the morning of last Monday (27), Alexandre Barbosa, manager of Cetic.br, recalled the Center's mission: "Our goal with the workshop is to create discussions, promote training, and learn with the present audience," he explains.

The concept that public policies should be data-driven was advocated in the lecture by Sonia Jorge, Executive Director of the Alliance For Affordable Internet (A4AI). Sonia considers that public internet policies need to ensure equal and open access for everyone. Based on the report produced by A4AI, she emphasized that the cost of network connection is crucial for inclusive development. "Even if the cost of internet access decreases, it is necessary to verify how much it represents for household income," she highlighted.

The program of the NIC.br Research Methodologies Week continued on Monday (27) and Tuesday (28) with a mini-course given by Alison Gillwald, Executive Director of Research ICT Africa. During the activities, strategies and research methodologies resulting in data for public policies were shared, along with an analysis of the regulatory environment of the sector, with examples from African countries such as South Africa, Ghana, Mozambique, and Kenya, among others. Gillwald also reinforced that international indicators need to be approached with caution and a critical eye.

Frédéric Bourassa, statistician at the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), also shared the organization's experience in data collection and analysis for policy formulation in the ICT area.

On Wednesday (29) and Thursday (30), the event focused on qualitative research design and data analysis. In the course, Liz Spencer, research consultant and partner at Q2 Training Complete, detailed the main methods and techniques for the planning and necessary preparation for conducting a qualitative research project. In a didactic way, with examples from everyday situations and exercises, Spencer also taught how to make sense of qualitative data and acquire the fundamentals for thematic analysis.

For more information, visit: https://cetic.br/semana-metodologias-pesquisas/

This content was automatically translated with the support of artificial intelligence.