Assessing impact from the outset: Establishing a strategic research program for a new community-based information system

The most common approach to the development of community-based electronic information systems has been, ''build it and they will come.'' Considering that many existing systems are still little more than prototypes, offering limited services, their popularity has been remarkable. However, with the sudden growth in public-access Internet provision and related information services, along with the availability of sophisticated search engines, it is likely that potential users' demands for quality of content and interactivity will have increased accordingly. Yet most community system developers have failed to study the needs and expectations of users early in the design process, when decisions are made on content, formats, and interface design. Researchers who have surveyed users of some of the first operational systems have concluded that system design might have benefited from studies conducted before the system was actually implemented. The results of such early studies can be used to identify appropriate information and resources for a specific community and to attract and retain new users. This paper describes a strategic research program intended to assess the impact of a particular community system from initial conceptualization through implementation and continuing development over the long term. Local responses to the program, along with the first phase of data collection, are described.