NOTICE: The project that is the subject of this report was approved by the Governing Board of the National Research Council, whose members are drawn from the councils of the National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Engineering, and the Institute of Medicine. The members of the committee responsible for the report were chosen for their special competencies and with regard for appropriate balance.
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Kenneth L. Kraemer, University of California, Irvine
Michel J. Menou, CIDEGI
James Poirot, National Academy of Engineering
Vernon W. Ruttan, University of Minnesota
John Schoneboom, American Association for the Advancement of Science
Martha Stone, Moenston Associates
While the individuals listed above have provided many constructive comments and suggestions, responsibility for the final content of this report rests solely with the authoring committee and the NRC.
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Acknowledgments
The Committee on Indicators of Internet Impacts on Development defined its role in this study as a steering panel that would draw on the expertise of other researchers and analysts working in the areas of development, information technologies, and regional affairs. The committee is grateful for the assistance and advice it received throughout the course of the study from a number of individuals and organizations, many of which are cited in the text. In particular, the committee members would like to thank the Network Startup Resource Center, the Academy for Education Development, and the American Association for the Advancement of Science. The committee members would also like to thank the Bellanet Initiative, which hosted an on-line discussion of Internet indicators after the committee presented its initial findings at the Global Knowledge '97 conference.
During their field research in Ghana, Kenya, and Senegal, the committee members received invaluable assistance from the U.S. Agency for International Development missions and Leland Initiative coordinators. Lane Smith (Leland Initiative), who accompanied the committee in Ghana and Senegal, deserves special thanks. Thanks are given also to the many individuals in Ghana, Kenya, and Senegal who took time out of their busy schedules to discuss the Internet during the committee's visits.
The committee gives special thanks to two individuals who contributed greatly to the research and writing of this report. Kelvin Wong (Center for International Development and Conflict Management, University of Maryland) provided much of the extensive background material for the team and did the data collection and analysis in Kenya. Jon Eisenberg 's (National Research Council and AAAS Fellow) help as a member of the team was invaluable in adding a disciplined and expert technical perspective on all the committee's work.