Reflexive Thematic Analysis is an increasingly popular method of qualitative analysis in many disciplines, including HCI. However, previous work has questioned the quality of its application, often finding it misunderstood and misapplied. To establish a snapshot of current practice in HCI, we performed a scoping review to examine 147 CHI papers from a single year that purported to use the method. Markers of good and poor practice were assessed based on writings and guidelines by the method’s originators. Similar to reviews in other domains, we found widespread issues such as methodological incongruence, insufficient detail, and poorly conceptualised and reported themes. Despite this, we highlight encouraging pockets of good practice. We conclude that HCI researchers should engage more holistically with Reflexive TA, and question whether it is always the most appropriate choice of method. To this end we offer several recommendations for improvement.

Mobile phone usage is widespread in rural Kenya, and digital services delivering livelihood-specific information can potentially aid development and mitigate climate impacts. However, to be embraced by individuals and communities, information should be delivered in ways that integrate with current community practices. We present an interview study with 24 community "information sharers", investigating information sharing practices and technology use within rural dryland pastoralist communities in Isiolo county. This region experiences frequent droughts exacerbated by climate change, and information regarding weather, water and climate is especially relevant. We found diverse ways in which information is obtained and shared to support dryland lives and livelihoods, with smartphones playing a prominent role. Notably, WhatsApp is widely used and integrates well with existing practices. However, inconsistency in the access and provision of information can lead to inequalities within and between communities. We offer several design recommendations for information provision systems in these settings.

Pastoralists in Somaliland are suffering the impacts of climate change, and need relevant, timely, and practical information about water resources and pastures. However, these communities are sparsely distributed and distant from decision-making centres, which impedes rapid dissemination of climate-related information that could allow them to build resilience to climate impacts. Although smartphone adoption rates are low, mobile services are widespread across Somaliland, presenting opportunities for supporting communities through mobile technologies. We interviewed 30 Somali pastoralists to understand their climate information needs, access to technology, and the potential for technology support. We also conducted a focus group with four Somali development experts to explore the cultural context and possible impacts of different design choices. Our results highlight and explore tensions around different design directions, and suggest possible ways to mitigate these. Designing systems that navigate such considerations can contribute to much-needed climate resilience for pastoralist communities in Somaliland and beyond.

Climate services are systems that provide climate and climate-related information to inform decision making around the world. Despite these systems featuring diverse interactions between technologies and a variety of user groups, and frequent calls in the literature for more a more user-centred focus, HCI researchers do not appear to have engaged much with this active research area. In this paper, we demonstrate this lack of interaction via a systematic literature search and offer possible explanations for this. We also map out opportunities for how HCI researchers can use their highly relevant skillsets to contribute to this research and aid climate change adaptation, notably around the user-facing elements of climate services. Finally, we offer some reasons why HCI researchers might want to engage, such as furthering existing HCI research avenues, and creating new ones through collaborations with researchers in disciplines such as climate science, development, and policy.

Mobile devices are increasingly used while watching video, both as a secondary device and for dedicated viewing. However, devices frequently issue notifications that can interrupt viewing. This study investigated the effect of interruptions from notifications on viewer immersion. Participants watched 10 minutes of a movie without notifications, and 10 minutes while receiving message notifications. There were two participant groups: one watched video on a 30-inch monitor with messages sent to a separate smartphone; while another watched on a smartphone while also receiving messages on it. Viewer immersion was assessed after each condition via questionnaire. We also considered message response times. Results showed that immersion scores were lower when the video was interrupted with notifications, regardless of viewing device. Message response times were fastest when using the phone as a secondary device. Our results suggest that device-driven interruptions should be minimised for an immersive film experience.