Geographical Indication (GI) options for Ethiopian Coffee and Ghanaian Cocoa

Perspectives on Intellectual Property from Botswana’s Publicly Funded Researchers
(2) PROs and government/NGO entities; and (3) parastatal/industry/ consultancy
institutions. To decide on the sample size for the survey of researchers, the Creative
Research Systems (2010) Sample Size Calculator was used to determine an appropriate
sample size to provide 95% confidence, and a 5% margin of error, so that
responses from the sample would reflect those of the target population. For a population
of 2,000 (the approximate size of the target community of Botswana’s public
researchers), the statistically desirable sample size was calculated at 323. However,
because of budget constraints, the sample size for this study could only be 194
respondents (60% of the optimal sample size). The population was organised into
the three aforementioned strata: universities, PROs and parastatal/industry institutions.
The statistically determined sample size was allocated to each stratum
using probability proportional to size (PPS) measures, which provided a more representative
sample of the population than simple random sampling would have.
A purposive sampling method was used to identify the individual researchers to be
surveyed. This method enabled identification of researchers with the desired characteristics
(e.g. those with a record of innovation, those belonging to particular disciplines
central to innovative research, those whose research was publicly funded).
Another method of non-random sampling – the snowball technique, relying on
referrals from initial subjects to additional subjects – was also employed.
The questionnaire administered to each of the respondent researchers was
completed in writing either (1) by research assistants during structured interviews
adhering to the questionnaire or (2) by the respondents themselves. The questionnaire
sought information from the researchers on:
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the nature and type of research they were involved in;
their general knowledge and utilisation of IP;
the IP-related activities of their institutions; and
their views on the potential impact of IP on the publicly funded research
environment.
The questionnaire was reviewed and ratified by the University of Botswana’s
Institutional Review Board (IRB) and then approved by the Ministry of Trade and
Industry’s Ethical Committee. In addition, permission to conduct the study was
obtained from the heads of the institutions where the respondents were based.
The trained research assistants informed respondents about the purpose of the
study before the questionnaire was administered. Of the 194 respondents targeted,
187 questionnaires were completed and returned, providing a response rate
of 96.4%. The questionnaire data were supplemented by key informant interviews
with select policy-makers (Members of Parliament, ministry staff, councillors,
village development committee members) and heads of institutions, directors of
research and development, heads of IP units and some members of the judiciary.
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