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From: A JISC announce list. [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf
Of Tessa EDMONDS
Sent: 03 February 2005 10:21
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Press Release: MORI survey uncovers major new trends in web use in
the UK



Press Release



MORI survey uncovers major new trends in web use in the UK



Thursday 3 February 2005 - A new MORI survey published today is the first to
take a wide-ranging look at the issues of reliability of information found
on the Internet, and the extent to which users feel they can trust the
information they find there. The reputation of an organisation and the
trustworthiness of the content of websites are important factors in people's
attitudes, the survey found. Information provided via the websites of more
established organisations such as museums, libraries and archives are most
likely to gain a great deal or fair amount of trust from people. This is
particularly the case in comparison to more commercial websites such as
utility companies, travel agencies and Internet-only retail companies.



Among the other findings uncovered by the survey, commissioned by the Common
Information Environment (CIE) group, were the following:



*         Most of the population is aware of the Internet to some degree,
with just under half of all respondents (49%) saying they know at least a
fair amount about it

*         92% of Internet users say that reliability of content is an
important factor, including 63% saying it is very important

*         Home is the place from which people most commonly access the
Internet, with 80% of current users  saying that they go online most often
from there

*         53% of all respondents go online at least once a week, including
30% who do so every day

*         3% of users access the Internet via mobile phones or GPRS as their
preferred means of access.

*         Over half of all current users (54%) of the Web use it as their
preferred information source. In addition, some 59% of all those surveyed
are confident about Internet use, and three quarters of respondents say that
they find it easy to get access to the Internet.

In addition,

*         With the potential of the Internet as a learning tool, the survey
also reveals the public's attitudes to lifelong learning.  Encouragingly,
the overwhelming majority of people surveyed agree that it is important for
adults to continue to learn as they get older (94%).  Importantly most see a
role for the Internet in learning new things (83% class the Internet as an
important learning tool). 59% of those who have ever used the Internet
search for specific information in connection with a hobby or interest,
while 40% have done so in connection with their own education, and 25% in
connection with their own children's learning.

The survey also points to a growing "digital divide", a gulf between
different groups of users based on gender, employment, class and educational
attainment. Men, people aged 16-54, who work, come from social classes ABC1,
and have a formal educational qualification are more likely to be Internet
users, the survey finds, than women, people aged 55+, those not in work,
from social classes C2DE, and people who do not have a formal educational
qualification.



At the same time, findings from the survey suggest that use of the Internet
may be prone to lapsing as people move from education and training (where
learning providers supply the means of access for those without ready access
elsewhere) into work. Once again, the implications for the wider agendas of
lifelong learning, e-Government and active citizenship would appear to
require concerted political action.



Dr Paul Miller, Director of the CIE, welcomed the findings, saying: "The
Common Information Environment is all about public sector organisations
working together in order to make the online experience more educational,
entertaining and enriching than it is currently. Individually, CIE members
each serve large parts of the population. Together, their audience is every
man, woman and child in the UK. The commissioning of this research is an
excellent example of that cooperation, and its results clearly demonstrate
the high regard in which organisations of the type represented by CIE
members are held by the public, and the importance that they place in being
able to access authoritative, high quality content via the Internet."



Chris Batt, Chief Executive of MLA and the Chair of the CIE, said: "This new
study is a goldmine of information on users' (and non-users') perceptions of
the Internet and the resources and services it offers. Anyone interested in
how this new medium is changing our daily lives will want to see these data,
and the report provides the Common Information Environment partners with
vital new insights that will direct and focus our future work programmes."



The results are highly encouraging for the Common Information Environment
group, a coalition of public sector information organisations, whose task it
is to help create a cross-sectoral partnership to realise the full potential
of the Internet for all UK citizens. These organisations include those
funding this research; the British Library, DfES (Department for Education &
Skills), JISC (Joint Information Systems Committee), MLA (Museums, Libraries
& Archives Council), and SLIC (Scottish Library & Information Council).
Content of the type provided by these organisations is of precisely the kind
that respondents to the survey recognise as trustworthy, reliable and of
high quality. The challenge now, the survey suggests, is for Government to
actively tackle people's misconceptions and a real skills gap in certain
parts of the population, whilst capitalising upon a clear preference for
trusted knowledge resources.

- end -




Notes to Editors:



For the results of the MORI survey please go to
www.common-info.org.uk/audienceresearch.shtml
<http://www.common-info.org.uk/audienceresearch.shtml> .



A Summary of Findings is available at
www.common-info.org.uk/mori-findings.shtml
<http://www.common-info.org.uk/mori-findings.shtml> , and some Implications
are highlighted for us by MORI at
www.common-info.org.uk/mori-implications.shtml
<http://www.common-info.org.uk/mori-implications.shtml> .



The full report is available to download from
www.common-info.org.uk/docs/mori-report.pdf
<http://www.common-info.org.uk/docs/mori-report.pdf> .



For press enquiries please contact:

Philip Pothen at JISC on 020 7848 2935, email [log in to unmask]
<mailto:[log in to unmask]>

Fiona Cameron at MLA on 020 7273 1459, email [log in to unmask]
<mailto:[log in to unmask]> ;



The Common Information Environment (CIE) is a collaborative activity
involving a growing number of public sector bodies across the United
Kingdom.  Members currently include Becta, the British Library, the Cabinet
Office's e-Government Unit, Culture Online, the Department for Education &
Skills (DfES), English Heritage, the e-Science Core Programme, the Joint
Information Systems Committee (JISC), the Museums, Libraries and Archives
Council (MLA), The National Archives, the National Health Service's National
Electronic Library for Health (NeLH), the Scottish Library & Information
Council (SLIC) and UKOLN.



Contact:  Dr Paul Miller - Director, Common Information Environment on
(07779) 669542 or  <mailto:[log in to unmask]> [log in to unmask]

A key focus for CIE activities is the shared recognition that the
information held in trust by various organisations should be visible,
useful, meaningful and reusable for the widest range of potential
beneficiaries.

The CIE web site is at  <http://www.common-info.org.uk/>
www.common-info.org.uk/.

The MORI Social Research Institute carried out 2,004 interviews with members
of the UK general public aged 16+, face-to-face, in-home between 13 October
and 18 November 2004. This included 1,393 respondents who have ever used the
web (1,265 current and 128 lapsed users) and 585 who have never used it.

At the analysis stage, data were weighted by age and social class to the
overall population of the UK using 2001 Census data.





Dr Philip Pothen

Press and PR Manager,

Joint Information Systems Committee (JISC),

King's College London,

138-142 The Strand (3rd floor),

London WC2R 1HH



(t) 020 7848 2935

(m) 07887 564 006



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