The SMIT research group - Study regarding Media, Information & Telecommunications - is active in fundamental research, short-term and long-term applied research, as well as contract research in the area of ICT utilisation and policies.

Content expertise

With regard to content, SMIT has thorough expertise in:

• Analysis: How is ICT adopted, used and domesticated in today's various social echelons, both professionally and residentially?
• User-oriented developments of new services:
  • From a longitudinal perspective, on the basis of zero measurements and a historical approach;
  • From a mutual shaping perspective, on the basis of experience-oriented experiments and real-life simulations;
• ICT consulting: Consulting services on strategic and regulatory policies, for local, regional, national and supranational governmental agencies;
• ICT mapping and monitoring: SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats) analyses of the ICT offer;
• Long-term research: What are these social consequences of ICT? What are the socio-cultural trends? What is the status of participation, on a social, economic, political and cultural level?

Methodologies

With regard to the applied methods, SMIT has thorough knowledge in the areas of:

• Qualitative research: In-depth interviews, focus group interviews, living laboratory, etc;
• Quantitative research;
• Politico-economic policy analyses;
• Socio-technological forecasting studies and scenario development;
• Business modelling.

Contactgegevens:

Website: http://smit.vub.ac.be