At IDIN, we’re all about learning, especially when it’s hands-on. Here we’ve compiled some of our favorite resources, many of which are used at our trainings and summits around the world.
Resource Library
Rice Cultivation and Greenhouse Gas Emissions: A Review and Conceptual Framework with Reference to Ghana
- Research
This paper reviews various studies on the impact of rice cultivation on greenhouse gas emissions. Based on the review, researchers from IDIN Academic Partner KNUST developed a conceptual framework that evaluates the impact of rice cultivation on greenhouse gas emissions in Ghana.
Investigating the requirements of an online emergency response platform
- Research
This paper highlights some of the difficulties experienced by volunteers and members of the general public when coordinating a response to an emergency in Pakistan, and discusses a participatory approach to investigating the requirements of an online emergency response platform that links volunteers with donors. The approach builds upon the use of a prototype platform in a simulated emergency situation with real users to test assumptions and learn about the design requirements for such a platform. The paper details the design process and the features of the prototype, and the feedback it received from users.
Solar Dryer with Biomass Backup Heater for Drying Fruits: Development and Performance Analysis
- Research
In this paper, KNUST and MIT D-Lab researchers detail their research on the development and design of a solar dryer with biomass backup heater for drying fruits.
IDIN Summer Research Fellowship Final Report
- Research
This report summarizes the research of IDIN 2017 Summer Research Fellow Jessica Huang, who conducted qualitative field research in several indigenous communities surrounding Lake Atitlán in the Sololá Department of Guatemala. This report presents a stakeholder map which was developed as well as findings from community focus groups exploring topics related to local innovation, including the perceived impacts of IDDS projects and factors influencing collaboration within and between communities.
IDIN Summer Research Fellows Report- Nepal
- Research
This report was produced by IDIN Summer Research Fellow Shweta Rajbhandari, who traveled to Nepal during the summer of 2015 to conduct exploratory research in two remote communities at the epicenter of the 2015 Nepal earthquake focused on understanding factors contributing to villagers' abilities to cope with the disaster and demonstrate resilience.
IDIN Summer Research Fellows Report- Myanmar
- Research
This report was produced by IDIN Summer Research Fellow Reese Caliman, who traveled to Myanmar during the summer of 2015 to conduct exploratory fieldwork related to local innovation and waste management.
IDIN Summer Research Fellows Report-Ghana
- Research
This report presents the research of two IDIN Summer Research Fellows, Grace Connors and Jessie Press-Williams, who traveled to Ghana during the summer of 2015 to conduct exploratory interviews with local innovators in Accra, Kumasi, and Tamale. The report contains their research findings as well as profiles of 31 Ghanaian entrepreneurs of varying ages and backgrounds.
Watching the Smoke Rise Up: Thermal Efficiency, Pollutant Emissions and Global Warming Impact of Three Biomass Cookstoves in Ghana
- Research
In Ghana, about 73% of households rely on solid fuels for cooking. Over 13,000 annual deaths are attributed to exposure to indoor air pollution from inefficient combustion. In this study, assessment of thermal efficiency, emissions, and total global warming impact of three cookstoves commonly used in Ghana was completed using the International Workshop Agreement (IWA) Water Boiling Test (WBT) protocol. Statistical averages of three replicate tests for each cookstove were computed. Thermal efficiency results were: wood-burning cookstove: 12.2 ± 5.00% (Tier 0); coalpot charcoal stove: 23.3 ± 0.73% (Tier 1–2); and Gyapa charcoal cookstove: 30.00 ± 4.63% (Tier 2–3). The wood-burning cookstove emitted more CO, CO2, and PM2.5 than the coalpot charcoal stove and Gyapa charcoal cookstove. The emission factor (EF) for PM2.5 and the emission rate for the wood-burning cookstove were over four times higher than the coalpot charcoal stove and Gyapa charcoal cookstove. To complete the WBT, the study results showed that, by using the Gyapa charcoal cookstove instead of the wood-burning cookstove, the global warming impact could be potentially reduced by approximately 75% and using the Gyapa charcoal cookstove instead of the coalpot charcoal cookstove by 50%. We conclude that there is the need for awareness, policy, and incentives to enable end-users to switch to, and adopt, Gyapa charcoal cookstoves for increased efficiency and reduced emissions/global warming impact.
From Innovators' Perspective: Processes of Grassroots Innovation in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana
- Research
This Masters thesis seeks to understand the innovation processes of grassroots innovators in two states in Southern India. Through interviews and case study research, the thesis sheds light on how each innovator has developed his innovation from idea to product, as well as on the enabling conditions that are needed in order to support processes of local innovation in Southern India.
Understanding the relationship between place-based economic development strategies for innovation and inequality: the Innovation District in Medellin, Colombia
- Research
This report presents the research of IDIN Summer Research Fellow Juan Constain, who researched an Innovation District in the Colombian city of Medellín as part of a larger project leading to his Masters thesis. This report documents and maps the players in the district and examines the strategies used to develop the district, paying particular attention to the role of the district in furthering or eroding economic and social inclusion of residents in the surrounding neighborhoods.