Making information ‘usable’ and useful

The way in which information is generated and presented, and its content influences how usable or useful it is for the particular purpose of the user (e.g. do they want to raise Awareness of an issue; increase Knowledge; change Attitudes, or influence Behaviour – the AKAB model)

If users are not involved in the analysis of their own environment, they will tend not to have ownership of the analysis or recommendations.  This has important implications for the way that knowledge is generated.  Many participants in the workshops felt that there was little information about their own contexts.  The Latin Americans in particular, found that the body of transport knowledge had a very strong African bias, was focused on roads and on urban issues rather than rural Language both vernacular (and the way that words are used to describe reality or an analysis of it will either make it communicate with the audience or fail to convey the message.  We need therefore to write information clearly. For the Latin American participants in the workshops, the dearth of materials in Spanish means that although the English-speaking professionals can access the full range of materials in the public domain, they are unable to share it with colleagues.  This inhibits the initiation of a local discourse or ‘mainstreaming’ of transport into other sectors. The implications include lack of collaborative work across infrastructure sectors and potentially lack of uptake of mobility issues by general development community.

Users also tend to bring their own knowledge, experiences and biases to their understanding of information.  This needs to be recognised, though it cannot always be anticipated.

Where information is produced for specific audiences, it isn’t made clear who the intended audience is. Participants at the Peru workshop said that this raises expectations (of those who get hold of the information thinking it will inform them, but doesn’t) and wastes time (accessing and then reading it without learning anything of value).

Usefulness of information is also limited by information providers generalising information so that is useful to many audiences, but this loses the specificity and practicality of the information.  Participants felt that information would be more useful if it is written for a specified audience.  Other information users can then use their own filters, or express demand for generating similar information in their own context. Waiting for a ‘generic’ information product, can limit the wider dissemination of useful information.  For instance, work on Integrated Rural Accessibility Planning is taking place across three regions (Asia, Africa and Latin America) but little of the information is shared, since it is felt that work in one region may not be directly relevant to the others. But our research shows that people would like to see the originals, along with an explanation of the context in which it was generated, so that they can filter it through their own screens of knowledge and expertise.  It is important not to underestimate users’ ability to apply and filter information from one place and to assume that we (as information generators) can do what the users can’t i.e. screen and filter. 

We should do with information like IKEA do with furniture.  They generate a concept and produce the basic components, then consumers build it, paint it, make it perfect for themselves.

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