Database on world top incomes
THE PUBLICLY AND freely accessible World Top Incomes Database (WTID), part funded by the ESRC, provides online data on the long-run development of economic inequality.
Beginning with the research of the long- run distribution of top incomes in France, a succession of studies has constructed top income share time series over the long-run for some thirty countries to date.
The WTID draws on tax data from incomes dating before the Second World War, and in some cases into the 19th century. More than 30 contributing authors helped construct the database, which currently provides
information on the distribution of top income groups for 31 countries worldwide. A further 45 countries will be added in future. During 2015, the WTID will become the W2ID, the World Wealth and Income Database, and will include statistical information on inheritance, aggregated wealth and its distribution. n
i Contact Dr Facundo Alvaredo, Paris School
of Economics Email
alvaredo@gmail.com Web
topincomes.parisschoolofeconomics.eu Telephone +33 (0) 14 313 6252 ESRC Grant Number ES/I033114/1
Barriers restrict East Africa’s connectivity gains
BEFORE 2009, THERE wasn’t a single fibre-optic cable connecting East Africa to the rest of the world. After millions of dollars of investment, increased internet connectivity has not proved as transformative as some anticipated. Over a three-year project, researchers focused on the impact of connectivity on three key sectors of production in East Africa: business process outsourcing, the tea sector and the tourist industry. Findings highlight some of the key ways that ICTs were used in these three sectors. For instance, that most benefits are being accrued upstream in value chains, and that better connectivity was most often successfully used to tap into local markets rather than international ones. But the study revealed few cases in which changing connectivity was a key driver of significant economic change, particularly among small or
medium firms. Even for large firms, systematic and global-scale barriers could not be overcome by increased connectivity alone. “While better connectivity does enable tangible benefits, clear regulatory policy that pays attention to value-for-money and moves beyond hype is required to boost firms’ attempts to make the most of new forms of connectivity,” researcher Dr Mark Graham states. “Policy that focuses on the wider socio-technical limitations – skills, finance, and systems – which prevent East African firms from taking advantage of online opportunities, is also important.” n
i Contact Dr Mark Graham, University of Oxford
Email
mark.graham@
oii.ox.ac.uk Web
cii.oii.ox.ac.uk/research Telephone 01865 287203 ESRC Grant Number ES/I033777/1
IN BRIEF MEDIA AND ELECTIONS
The 2015 British election media study aims to tackle pressing issues concerning the frequently disputed effects of the media on governance and elections. Researchers will also gather high- quality data on media coverage during and after the 2015 British general election. The study brings together investigators with expertise in traditional and social media content analysis as well as statistical modelling skills. ESRC grant number ES/M010775/1
EFFECTIVE WRITING The effective use of grammar is central to good writing. Using computer-aided analysis of a large, systematically-collected body of student writing, researchers aim to increase understanding of grammatical development, generate a publicly accessible body of grammatically-annotated student writing designed to support further studies of literacy development, and offer a set of recommendations to inform both national and international curriculum policies. ESRC grant number ES/M00967X/1
DESIGNS FOR DEMENTIA People with Alzheimer’s Disease (AD), the most prevalent form of dementia, often have difficulty knowing where they are and how to get to places. Researchers aim to identify the features of buildings that make them relatively harder or easier for people with AD to navigate. The project will help create dementia-friendly architectural guidelines to improve the design of residences for people with AD. ESRC grant number ES/M009254/1
SUMMER 2011 SOCIETY NOW 5 SUMMER 2015
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