Defining and Measuring A2KDefining and Measuring A2KA Blueprint for an Index of Access to KnowledgeA Blueprint for an Index of Access to Knowledge

Lea ShaverLea Shaver

July 13, 2008July 13, 2008

AALL Conference, PortlandAALL Conference, Portland

The Information Society Project @ Yale Law SchoolThe Information Society Project @ Yale Law School

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RoadmapRoadmap

Locating Access to KnowledgeLocating Access to Knowledge

Why an index approach?Why an index approach?

Conceptual framework for A2K Conceptual framework for A2K

Overview of index componentsOverview of index components

Translating ideas into indicatorsTranslating ideas into indicators

Achievements and next stepsAchievements and next steps

Questions for audience feedbackQuestions for audience feedback

MotivationMotivation

The A2K IndexThe A2K Index

EvaluationEvaluation

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MotivationMotivation

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Defining and Measuring A2KDefining and Measuring A2K

William Thomson, William Thomson, First Baron Kelvin First Baron Kelvin (1824–1907)(1824–1907)

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Defining and Measuring A2KDefining and Measuring A2K

William Thomson, William Thomson, First Baron Kelvin First Baron Kelvin (1824–1907)(1824–1907)

Originator of the Originator of the Kelvin Scale of Kelvin Scale of TemperatureTemperature

““If you cannot If you cannot measure it, you measure it, you cannot improve it.”cannot improve it.”

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Model IndicesModel Indices

Human Development Index (HDI) Amartya Sen & Mahbub ul Haq UNDP Human Development Report (1990) Popularized the concept of “human development” Wide impact among policy-makers & researchers http://hdr.undp.org

Environmental Sustainability Index (ESI) Environmental Performance Measurement Project Debuted at the World Economic Forum (2005) “Benchmarking national environmental stewardship” Most-discussed item on the Internet http://www.yale.edu/esi

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Index RankingIndex Ranking

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Index TrackingIndex Tracking

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Index MappingIndex Mapping

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The A2K Index The A2K Index

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Conceptual FrameworkConceptual Framework

Human Capabilities Framework Approach to development policy, closely related to human rights, foundation of

“human development” approach, A2K as a capability.

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Conceptual FrameworkConceptual Framework

Human Capabilities Framework Approach to development policy, closely related to human rights, foundation of “human development” approach, A2K as a capability.

What Makes Knowledge Unique? Rawls: “primary good”; Mokyr: key driver of development, Benkler: a non-exclusive and shareable good, both an input & output of innovation

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Conceptual FrameworkConceptual Framework

Human Capabilities Framework Approach to development policy, closely related to human rights, foundation of “human development” approach, A2K as a capability.

What Makes Knowledge Unique? Rawls: “primary good”; Mokyr: key driver of development, Benkler: a non-exclusive and shareable good, both an input & output of innovation

Why the Emphasis on Access? Both moral and utilitarian; commitment to equity and inclusive development, feedback nature of knowledge improvements, diffusion the key

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Index ComponentsIndex Components

I. Education for Information Literacy

II. Access to the Global Knowledge Commons

III. Access to Knowledge Goods

IV. Enabling Legal Framework

V. Effective Innovation Systems

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I. Education for Information LiteracyI. Education for Information Literacy

Do citizens have the skills to participate in the information society?

Ability to locate, understand, apply, and communicate stored information.

Research agenda: testing tools to directly assess information literacy, either through simulated performance, or through survey questions.

Currently available indicators: data on secondary and tertiary education completion. Perhaps combine with some assessment of quality.

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II. Access to the Global Knowledge CommonsII. Access to the Global Knowledge Commons

Do citizens have access to repositories of existing knowledge?

Shaped strongly by Internet access and linguistic fluency.

Why privilege the internet? The ultimate data-transmission vehicle. Might be access from personal computer, library, cyber-cafe, cell phones.

Role of language in accessing global knowledge commons. How to incorporate this? One way: weighting languages by Wikipedia entries.

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III. Access to Knowledge GoodsIII. Access to Knowledge Goods

Do citizens have access to knowledge-based goods and tools?

Affordability shaped by macro-economic policy, as well as firm behavior.

Yochai Benkler, The Wealth of Networks: How Social Production Transforms Markets and Freedom (2006), , http:///http:///www.benkler.orgwww.benkler.org..

Research Agenda: Costing a basket of knowledge goods. Candidates for inclusion would include textbooks, cell phones, essential medicines.

Short-term Substitute: Estimates of proportion of population with access to the goods, following essential medicines methodology.

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IV. Enabling Legal FrameworkIV. Enabling Legal Framework

Does the legal framework support access to knowledge?

Respect for freedom of expression, balanced intellectual property regime.

Existing source of data: www.freedomhouse.org. Civil Liberties scores include expression, assembly, association, religion & education.

Research agenda: an A2K-specific metric. Include issues such as Internet filtering, academic & cultural travel, etc.

Balanced IP regime: much of IP law is harmonized. Look to software and business method patents, copyright terms, exceptions & limitations.

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V. Effective Innovation SystemsV. Effective Innovation Systems

Do the systems for producing new knowledge function well?

What is the actual innovation output?

Available data: unacceptable. Data exists on patent applications and revenues, but treating this as a reflection of innovation is misleading.

Research agenda: additional economic and business research is needed to develop better metrics for defining and measuring innovation.

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EvaluationEvaluation

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Achievements & Next StepsAchievements & Next Steps

What this paper has accomplished Conceptual framework for A2K Blueprint for an A2K Index (10-20 indicators) Concrete introduction to A2K

What remains to be done No good indicators of innovation exist A2K-based assessment for freedom of expression A2K-based assessment for intellectual property balance

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An A2K Policy-pediaAn A2K Policy-pedia

Problem: A2K policy advocates lack of easy-to access information on existing policies. Information needed to develop some components of the index Often, public-interest advocates have trouble getting access to this information in their own countries

Solution: A wikipedia approach to mapping A2K policy? Offer a framework of the relevant policy issues Peer-produce the data to fill them in Allows for tracking and comparing practices between counties

Contact & ReferenceContact & Reference

lea.shaver@yale.edulea.shaver@yale.eduAccess to Knowledge Program DirectorAccess to Knowledge Program Director

Yale Information Society ProjectYale Information Society Project

Lea Shaver, Lea Shaver, Defining and Measuring A2K: A Blueprint Defining and Measuring A2K: A Blueprint for an Index of Access to Knowledgefor an Index of Access to Knowledge, 4:2 ISJLP 1 , 4:2 ISJLP 1

(2008), (2008), http://http://ssrn.comssrn.com/abstract=1021065/abstract=1021065..