View/Open - Scholarly Commons Home

sound knowledge of the technology used and especially about MWT deployment in the
various departments included directors, managers and other senior government officers.
These participants were selected on the basis that they possessed significant skills and
knowledge of ICT and were directly involved in operational issues within their
respective department. As a result, the sample selected for this study is obviously biased
toward the more educated and more ICT oriented government officers.
4.4 Primary Data Collection Methods
The collection of empirical data took place through interviews and reviewing published
case studies, statistics and reports. The initial approach of the study was to employ a
survey method for collecting primary data. However, after further consideration of an
online survey, it was decided that the data collected using this method may not be
suitable especially in the case of Vanuatu. There were issues of concern that data
collected in this may not be a true representation of the unit being analysed and was
considered an inefficient method for collecting data. For instance, there might not be
many responses to the online questionnaire.
While data collection through an online survey is considered to cost less, it does have its
limitations. For instance, the use of online survey in this study could not be relied upon
for data accuracy. Also it would require participants to have access to the Internet.
However, Internet usage is limited with the government departments. This means that
if participants required a fast internet connection, there would be a cost involved when
accessing the internet from an internet cafe in town. This may worsen the situation as
potential participants might as well just ignore participating.
- 76 -