Mapping and explaining the formation of beneficiary perceptions in ICT4D

One of the causes of failure in ICT4D is connected to field research, which is not always capable to understand the reality experienced by beneficiaries in developing nations. Here I present a research method devised specifically to map and explain the perceptions of beneficiaries in ICT4D projects. The method relies on the construct of subjective perception as image, and provides a type of narrative analysis aimed at “writing the history” of how perceptions are formed. Drawing on my research on food security in south India, I present the technique at work in the collection and analysis of data, illustrating its strengths and limitations in mapping the world visions of respondents. The technique is proposed to solve the conundrum of understanding users’ reality in ICT4D research, hence avoiding the “design-reality gaps” that lead to failure.