The roots and early history of the British home computer market : origins of the masculine micro

Imperial Users onl

Methodological considerations in the UK: research on the domestication of ICTs

In the methods literature on qualitative research it is now increasingly recognised that what emerges in interviews is not simply the truth about household life but an inter-subjective construction negotiated during the research process (Alasuutari, 1995; Miller and Glassner, 1997; Holstein and Gubrium, 1997.). This involves many judgements on the part of those interviewed concerning the goals of interview, how they can create an account of their everyday lives. It involves the interviewer in the process of negotiating which parts of such accounts are relevant, from what perspective they might be approached and how the complex realities of everyday life may be characterised. And during this process we must take into account not only problems of memory or misperception but also how interviewees are consciously or unconsciously, individually or in collaboration, presenting themselves through these accounts. Against such background consideration, this paper aims to consider the methodology of a recent three year research programme at Sussex University examining the domestication of information and communication technologies. It considers the three studies conducted within that programme, of teleworkers, lone parents and the young elderly (Haddon and Silverstone, 1993, 1995, 1996a), and for comparative purposes a subsequent study of the social class AB and cable TV (Silverstone and Haddon, 1996). The various sections of the paper consider: 1. General processes of interaction during the interview 2. The types of data sought and generated and how we might evaluate the above social processes at work in their formulation 3. The production of research reports mobilising such data 4. Some external limitations on the research proces

Approaches to understanding teleworking

Over the course of some years of reviewing literature and conducting empirical research on telework, it is quite clear that it is a diverse phenomenon, approachable in numerous ways and for a range of objectives. Furthermore, the actual experience of teleworkers is varied and dynamic, as is their relationship to information and communication technologies ICTs) The following sections aim to address all these issues by: 1. setting the scene in terms of indicating the diverse perspectives brought to the topic, including public representations of the practice 2. exploring the issues involved in defining telework and drawing boundaries around the practice 3. charting the dimensions according to which home-based teleworking experiences can be differentiated 4. indicating the key dynamics by which teleworking may change over time 5. providing a framework for specifically considering how we might analyse the role of ICTs in such teleworking household