Access Denied

Introduction As social-distancing mandates in response to COVID-19 restricted in-person data collection methods such as participant observation and interviews, researchers turned socially distant interviewing via video-conferencing technology (Lobe et al.). These were not new tools nor methods, but the pandemic muted any bias towards face-to-face methods. Exemplified crowd-sourced documents Doing Fieldwork a Pandemic, encouraged pivot digital means of fulfilling research objectives, “specifically, ideas for avoiding interactions by using mediated forms that will achieve similar ends” (Lupton). The benefits expanding cohorts scope have been touted long before 2020 COVID-19, and, noted Murthy, are “compelling” (“Emergent” 172). Research conducted can expect reap “global datasets/respondents” “new modalities involving respondents” (Murthy, “Emergent” is itself an issue. What concerns us dialogues about shifting during there does yet appear critical consideration how samples collected be impacted upon or skewed recording experiences advantaged cohorts. Existing literature focusses on time-saving researcher, reduction travel costs (Fujii), minimal users specific platforms – e.g. Skype –, presumes ubiquity device access participants (Cater). We found no discussion accessing services being potential barriers participation research, although Deakin Wakefield did share our concern that: Online interviews may ... mean some excluded due need technological competence required participate, obtain software maintain Internet connection duration discussion. In this sense, certain groups problem lead issues representativeness. (605) write provocation colleagues conducting at time consider cultural material capital their enables them participate digitally-mediated gathering practices, not, what extent. Despite highlighting within methodological tool kit, Murthy previously cautioned against implications posed exclusion, noting “the drawback these options membership communities inherently ‘haves’ rather than ‘have nots’” (“Digital” 845). article, we argue while Zoom indeed enabled fieldwork continue despite COVID disruptions, shift online has important under-acknowledged who able research. making argument, draw examples from Connected Students project, study inclusion commenced just restrictions came into effect Australian state Victoria start 2020. households illustrate face when participating begin providing details project then contextualising it through inclusion. outline three areas which would experienced (or still do experience) difficulties research: data, devices, skills. use findings highlight disadvantaged engaging activities over question impacting included COVID-19. Program program was Shepparton, regional city located 180km north Melbourne. town population around 30,000, Greater Shepparton region comprises 64,000 residents. chosen program’s site because characterised unique combination low-income low levels First, ranks lowest interval Bureau Statistics’ Socio-Economic Indexes Areas (SEIFA) Index Relative Socioeconomic Advantage Disadvantage (IRSAD), reported 2016 (Australian Statistics, “Census”; “Index”). Although strong agricultural horticultural industry with number food-based manufacturing companies area, including fruit canneries, dairies, food processing plants, high long-term intergenerational unemployment jobless families. Second, area Digital Inclusion (Thomas al.), measures across dimensions access, ability, affordability. Funded Telstra, Australia’s largest telecommunications provider, delivered partnership Secondary College (GSSC), provided laptop unlimited broadband up two years. Households recruited GSSC. To eligible, needed hold health care card least one child attending school year 10, 11, 12. Both student caregiver eligible. Additional household members invited take part to. (See Kennedy & Holcombe-James; al., "Connected Students", further regarding demographics.) identifies affordability significant barrier Australia project’s objective measure removing connectivity impacts By free internet removed associated access. Access alone enough resolve exclusion confronted households. instances derived simply cost devices. result, typically lacked sufficient Each therefore both speed connection, brand built-in camera, microphone, speakers (a standard kit video conferencing). Data intended face-to-face. had planned observations semi-structured intervals throughout (beginning, middle, end), tours each home spatially map locations uses (Kennedy Domesticity). readied make first trip commence study, wreaking havoc. It quickly became apparent travelling work, much less state. thus pivoted all Microsoft Teams. While saved hours, allowing scale interview, also demonstrated unexpected aspects participants’ lived exclusion. round 35 Teams lockdown. practice reveals insights faced participation. describing experiences, pseudonyms individual refer pseudonym household. Why Does Matter? broadly defined universal technologies necessary social civic life (Helsper; Livingstone Helsper). recent years seen increase connected devices “2020”), remains uneven. elsewhere, disadvantage context falls along geographic socioeconomic lines (Alam Imran; Atkinson al.; Blanchard Rennie Digitally experience education, employment, income, social, mental hardship; predicament compounded myriad moving online, utility payments, services, job seeking Council Social Service; Chen; Commonwealth Ombudsman). addition challenges essential digitally Australians miss out (Ragnedda Ruiu). should key looking apply income quintile spend 6.2% disposable almost times more wealthier (Ogle). Those pay “poverty premium” five per unit those highest (Ogle Musolino). evidenced Index, driven higher reliance mobile-only “2020”). Low-income likely business, government mobile fixed For households, top expense after housing, food, transport, domestic energy pursuit responsible ethical caution assuming bear brunt terms having suitable device, expending own resources, adequate skills complete activity without undue stress. support argument below. Findings: Barriers Participation Excluded If preexisting conditions limited ways. (particularly reliant connectivity, few gigabytes month) struggled provide conferencing. lack Third, critically, ethnography, necessarily gaps confronted. Prior receiving many sample modes data. comparatively lower quality whether discussed here, contemporary very real costs. This especially case instead relied solely carefully managed avoid running out, extended conferences impossible unless financial reimbursement offered. used range practices manage extend away budget. often involved public Wi-Fi library services. Ellie’s household, instance, spent weekends so she her sister could homework. laborious, strategies worked well families everyday life. However, they highly unsuitable particularly pandemic. On most obvious level, expectations if silent, certainly quiet prohibited successful interview. Further, lockdowns, libraries (and other places Internet) inaccessible periods time. Lastly, designs, location even occurring online. house interview sought understand layout materiality asked guide home, showing where colocated. conduct families, near Internet. Devices Even connections, Laptops, generally best conferencing experience, prohibitively expensive excessively slow, unreliable, and/or functions. Desktop computers rare outdated extent One parent, Melissa, described barely-functioning desktop “like furniture computer”. Had audio capabilities, difficult. highlighted students completing schooling prior kit. A student, Mallory, example, explained laptop, only phone old iPad: Interviewer: Were you your homework those, sometimes tricky?Mallory: Sometimes tricky, wanted call something . Then got bit hard I my didn’t left.Interviewer: Yeah. Right.Julia (Parent): But far schoolwork, it’s everything iPad. computer obviously easier manoeuvre different things. example raises several common present Mallory’s program. prioritise purchasing tablets smartphones, conferencing, difficult navigate tasks which, above, resource. worth already functioning shared between members. Vanessa, noted, “yeah, until [Connected Students] four here. And Noel majority his work took priority”. individuated designs difficult, rely regular device. Skills provision ensure Many engage insufficient might considered “right” side divide, People knowledge resources. Brianna’s downloaded readiness neglected capabilities. restriction, decided too proved Neither Brianna parents confident transferring link email otherwise, requiring talk steps log on, find, send email. affected parent participants, others Ariel’s, focussed parental level. instances, vital resource, helping adults Celeste, Ariel’s explained, it's things get like, come me said Ariel "We're going How this?" So, yeah, out. look address, [initially thought] oh, god; am supposed here? helpful given its focus school-aged young people, dynamic helped dependents illustrates unfamiliar focussing adults, developed education occurred find lacking interviews. participants' subtle norms conventions Several ideal situations, parked cars. portion Piper’s completed drove 30 minutes Shepperton. Due living town, poor reception. regularly disrupted dropped range, transcript peppered interjections “we’re light spot we’re back sorry ...” (Karina, parent). Finally, Piper switched taking gain better connection: “my iPad meeting worse Internet, kind changed around” (Karina). Choosing provides evidence available onerousness choices indicate unfamiliarity norms. target popular discussions optimising careful lighting, background, make-up positioning (e.g. Lasky; Niven-Phillips). identified positioned themselves front choosing sit squarely camera lens. view single awkward people present. initially shoulders, foreheads, ceilings “whole” reposition pointing faces. seek criticise apportion responsibility accruing impact type conversation researcher participant. Such offer valuable insight individual’s lives Conclusion Throughout pandemic, invaluable researchers. drawn demonstrate Without kits design, provided, additional literacy. raise questions encourage designing person interactions, reviewing studies approaches: doesn’t research? visible pandemic? Beyond populations volunteer discomfort norms? When included, unduly burden precious resources? And, facilitate positive meaningful among comfortable interacting mediums like conferencing? raising acknowledge Rather, point asking this, reflect shifts beyond. researchers, always adapt Zoom-based fully inclusive, limitation keep mind reporting findings, later largely inclusion, intersects disadvantage. Thus, specifically disadvantage, aware applies broadly, whatever cause. Acknowledgements funded Telstra. supported under Council's Discovery Early Career Researchers Award funding scheme (project DE200100540). References Alam, Khorshed, Sophia Imran. “The Divide Refugee Migrants: Case Regional Australia.” Information Technology 28.2 (2015): 344–65. Atkinson, John, Rosemary Black, Allan Curtis. “Exploring City: Study Albury”. Geographer 39.4 (2008): 479–493. Statistics. “Census Population Housing: (SEIFA), Australia, 2016.” 2016. <https://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/[email protected]/Lookup/by%20Subject/2033.0.55.001~2016~Main%20Features~SOCIO-ECONOMIC%20INDEXES%20FOR%20AREAS%20(SEIFA)%202016~1>. ———. “Index (IRSAD).” <https://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/[email protected]/Lookup/by%20Subject/2033.0.55.001~2016~Main%20Features~IRSAD~20>. Service. Future Parents Next: Submission Senate Community Affairs Committee.” 8 Feb. 2019. <http://web.archive.org/web/20200612014954/https://www.acoss.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/ACOSS-submission-into-Parents-Next_FINAL.pdf>. Beer, David. Power Algorithms.” Information, Communication Society 20.1 (2017): 1–13. Blanchard, Michelle, al. “Rethinking Divide: Findings Marginalised Young People’s (ICT) Use.” Youth Studies 27.4 35–42. Cater, Janet. “Skype: Cost Effective Method Qualitative Research.” Rehabilitation Counselors Educators Journal 4.2 (2011): 10-17. Chen, Jesse. “Breaking Down Government: Can Enable Vulnerable Consumers Have Equal Government?” Sydney: Communications Consumer Action Network, 2017. <http://web.archive.org/web/20200612015130/https://accan.org.au/Breaking%20Down%20Barriers%20to%20Digital%20Government.pdf>. Ombudsman. “Centrelink’s Automated Debt Raising Recovery System: Implementation Report, Report No. 012019.” Ombudsman, <http://web.archive.org/web/20200612015307/https://www.ombudsman.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0025/98314/April-2019-Centrelinks-Automated-Debt-Raising-and-Recovery-System.pdf>. Hannah, Kelly Wakefield. “Skype Interviewing: Reflections Two PhD Researchers.” 14.5 (2014): 603-616. Fujii, LeeAnn. Interviewing Science Research: Relational Approach. Routledge, 2018. Helsper, Ellen. “Digital Inclusion: An Analysis Society.” London: Department Communities Local Government, 2008. Kennedy, Jenny, Indigo Holcombe-James. “Connected Milestone 1: Project Commencement". Melbourne: RMIT, 2021. <https://apo.org.au/node/312817>. 2: First Round Interviews". <https://apo.org.au/node/312818>. Domesticity: Media, Materiality, Home Life. Oxford UP, Lasky, Julie. “How Look Your Best Webcam.” New York Times, 25 Mar. <http://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/25/realestate/coronavirus-webcam-appearance.html>. Livingstone, Sonia, Ellen Helsper. “Gradations Children, Divide.” Media 9.4 (2007): 671–696. Lobe, Bojana, David L. Morgan, Kim A. Hoffman. “Qualitative Collection Era Distancing.” International Methods 19 (2020): 1–8. Lupton, Deborah. “Doing Pandemic (Crowd-Sourced Document).” <http://docs.google.com/document/d/1clGjGABB2h2qbduTgfqribHmog9B6P0NvMgVuiHZCl8/edit?ts=5e88ae0a#>. Dhiraj. Ethnography: Examination Use Technologies Research”. Sociology 42.2 837–855. “Emergent Ethnographic Handbook Emergent Research. Ed. Sharlene Nagy Hesse-Biber. 2011. 158–179. Niven-Phillips, Lisa. “‘Virtual Meetings Aren’t Going Anywhere Soon’: Put Face Forward.” Guardian, 27 <http://www.theguardian.com/fashion/2021/mar/27/virtual-meetings-arent-going-anywhere-soon-how-to-put-your-best-zoom-face-forward>. Ogle, Greg. “Telecommunications Expenditure Australia: Fact Sheet.” <https://web.archive.org/web/20200612043803/https://accan.org.au/files/Reports/ACCAN_SACOSS%20Telecommunications%20Expenditure_web_v2.pdf>. Greg, Vanessa Musolino. “Connectivity Costs: Telecommunications Affordability Low Income Australians.” <https://web.archive.org/web/20200612043944/https://accan.org.au/files/Reports/161011_Connectivity%20Costs_accessible-web.pdf>. Ragnedda, Massimo, Maria Laura Ruiu. “Social Capital Three Levels Theorizing Divides. Eds. Massimo Ragnedda Glenn Muschert. 21–34. Rennie, Ellie, “At Outstation: Remote Indigenous Communities.” Policy 37.6 (2013): 583–93. Taylor, Linnet. “What Is Justice? Connecting Rights Freedoms Globally. Big 1–14. Thomas, Julian, Measuring RMIT University, University Swinburne Technology, Zuboff, Shoshana. “Big Other: Surveillance Capitalism Prospects Civilization. 75–89.