Abstract

Within the frame of PCBS' efforts in providing official Palestinian statistics in the different life aspects of Palestinian society and because the wide spread of Computer, Internet and Mobile Phone among the Palestinian people, and the important role they may play in spreading knowledge and culture and contribution in formulating the public opinion, PCBS conducted the Household Survey on Information and Communications Technology, 2014.

The main objective of this survey is to provide statistical data on Information and Communication Technology in the Palestine in addition to providing data on the following: -

· Prevalence of computers and access to the Internet. · Study the penetration and purpose of Technology use.

Geographic coverage

Palestine (West Bank and Gaza Strip) , type of locality (Urban, Rural, Refugee Camps) and governorate

Analysis unit

Household. Person 10 years and over .

Universe

All Palestinian households and individuals whose usual place of residence in Palestine with focus on persons aged 10 years and over in year 2014.

Kind of data

Sample survey data [ssd]

Sampling procedure

Sampling Frame The sampling frame consists of a list of enumeration areas adopted in the Population, Housing and Establishments Census of 2007. Each enumeration area has an average size of about 124 households. These were used in the first phase as Preliminary Sampling Units in the process of selecting the survey sample.

Sample Size The total sample size of the survey was 7,268 households, of which 6,000 responded.

Sample Design The sample is a stratified clustered systematic random sample. The design comprised three phases:

Phase I: Random sample of 240 enumeration areas. Phase II: Selection of 25 households from each enumeration area selected in phase one using systematic random selection. Phase III: Selection of an individual (10 years or more) in the field from the selected households; KISH TABLES were used to ensure indiscriminate selection.

Sample Strata Distribution of the sample was stratified by: 1- Governorate (16 governorates, J1). 2- Type of locality (urban, rural and camps).

Sampling deviation

-

Mode of data collection

Face-to-face [f2f]

Research instrument

The survey questionnaire consists of identification data, quality controls and three main sections: Section I: Data on household members that include identification fields, the characteristics of household members (demographic and social) such as the relationship of individuals to the head of household, sex, date of birth and age.

Section II: Household data include information regarding computer processing, access to the Internet, and possession of various media and computer equipment. This section includes information on topics related to the use of computer and Internet, as well as supervision by households of their children (5-17 years old) while using the computer and Internet, and protective measures taken by the household in the home.

Section III: Data on persons (aged 10 years and over) about computer use, access to the Internet and possession of a mobile phone.

Cleaning operations

Preparation of Data Entry Program: This stage included preparation of the data entry programs using an ACCESS package and defining data entry control rules to avoid errors, plus validation inquiries to examine the data after it had been captured electronically.

Data Entry: The data entry process started on 8 May 2014 and ended on 23 June 2014. The data entry took place at the main PCBS office and in field offices using 28 data clerks.

Editing and Cleaning procedures: Several measures were taken to avoid non-sampling errors. These included editing of questionnaires before data entry to check field errors, using a data entry application that does not allow mistakes during the process of data entry, and then examining the data by using frequency and cross tables. This ensured that data were error free; cleaning and inspection of the anomalous values were conducted to ensure harmony between the different questions on the questionnaire.

Response rate

Response Rates= 79%

Sampling error estimates

There are many aspects of the concept of data quality; this includes the initial planning of the survey to the dissemination of the results and how well users understand and use the data. There are three components to the quality of statistics: accuracy, comparability, and quality control procedures.

Checks on data accuracy cover many aspects of the survey and include statistical errors due to the use of a sample, non-statistical errors resulting from field workers or survey tools, and response rates and their effect on estimations. This section includes:

Statistical Errors Data of this survey may be affected by statistical errors due to the use of a sample and not a complete enumeration. Therefore, certain differences can be expected in comparison with the real values obtained through censuses. Variances were calculated for the most important indicators.

Variance calculations revealed that there is no problem in disseminating results nationally or regionally (the West Bank, Gaza Strip), but some indicators show high variance by governorate, as noted in the tables of the main report.

Non-Statistical Errors Non-statistical errors are possible at all stages of the project, during data collection or processing. These are referred to as non-response errors, response errors, interviewing errors and data entry errors. To avoid errors and reduce their effects, strenuous efforts were made to train the field workers intensively. They were trained on how to carry out the interview, what to discuss and what to avoid, and practical and theoretical training took place during the training course. Training manuals were provided for each section of the questionnaire, along with practical exercises in class and instructions on how to approach respondents to reduce refused cases. Data entry staff were trained on the data entry program, which was tested before starting the data entry process.

Several measures were taken to avoid non-sampling errors. These included editing of questionnaires before data entry to check field errors, using a data entry application that does not allow mistakes during the process of data entry, and then examining the data by using frequency and cross tables. This ensured that data were error free; cleaning and inspection of the anomalous values were conducted to ensure harmony between the different questions on the questionnaire.

The sources of non-statistical errors can be summarized as: 1. Some of the households were not at home and could not be interviewed, and some households refused to be interviewed. 2. In unique cases, errors occurred due to the way the questions were asked by interviewers and respondents misunderstood some of the questions.