How ICT4D Research Fails the Poor

Research can improve development policies and practices and funders increasingly require evidence of such socioeconomic impact from their investments. This article questions whether information and communication technologies for development (ICT4D) research conforms to the requirements for achiev...

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Main Author: Harris, Roger W.
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Taylor & Francis Group 2016
Subjects:
Online Access:http://ir.unimas.my/id/eprint/11388/
http://ir.unimas.my/id/eprint/11388/1/How%20ICT4D%20Research%20Fails%20the%20Poor%20%28abstract%29.pdf
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author Harris, Roger W.
author_facet Harris, Roger W.
author_sort Harris, Roger W.
building UNIMAS Institutional Repository
collection Online Access
description Research can improve development policies and practices and funders increasingly require evidence of such socioeconomic impact from their investments. This article questions whether information and communication technologies for development (ICT4D) research conforms to the requirements for achieving socioeconomic impact. We report on a literature review of the impact of research in international development and a survey of ICT4D researchers who assessed the extent to which they follow practices for achieving socioeconomic impact. The findings suggest that while ICT4D researchers are interested in influencing both practice and policy, they are less inclined toward the activities that would make this happen, especially engaging with users of their research and communicating their findings to a wider audience. Their institutions do not provide incentives for researchers to adopt these practices. ICT4D researchers and their institutions should engage more closely with the users of their research through more and better communications with the public, especially through the use of information and communication technologies.
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spelling unimas-113882023-11-28T02:52:00Z http://ir.unimas.my/id/eprint/11388/ How ICT4D Research Fails the Poor Harris, Roger W. HC Economic History and Conditions T Technology (General) Research can improve development policies and practices and funders increasingly require evidence of such socioeconomic impact from their investments. This article questions whether information and communication technologies for development (ICT4D) research conforms to the requirements for achieving socioeconomic impact. We report on a literature review of the impact of research in international development and a survey of ICT4D researchers who assessed the extent to which they follow practices for achieving socioeconomic impact. The findings suggest that while ICT4D researchers are interested in influencing both practice and policy, they are less inclined toward the activities that would make this happen, especially engaging with users of their research and communicating their findings to a wider audience. Their institutions do not provide incentives for researchers to adopt these practices. ICT4D researchers and their institutions should engage more closely with the users of their research through more and better communications with the public, especially through the use of information and communication technologies. Taylor & Francis Group 2016 Article PeerReviewed text en http://ir.unimas.my/id/eprint/11388/1/How%20ICT4D%20Research%20Fails%20the%20Poor%20%28abstract%29.pdf Harris, Roger W. (2016) How ICT4D Research Fails the Poor. Information Technology for Development, 22 (1). pp. 177-192. ISSN 1554-0170 https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?eid=2-s2.0-84955644326&partnerID=40&md5=50dc28d4a50a37b417970c69bff266e9 http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/02681102.2015.1018115
spellingShingle HC Economic History and Conditions
T Technology (General)
Harris, Roger W.
How ICT4D Research Fails the Poor
title How ICT4D Research Fails the Poor
title_full How ICT4D Research Fails the Poor
title_fullStr How ICT4D Research Fails the Poor
title_full_unstemmed How ICT4D Research Fails the Poor
title_short How ICT4D Research Fails the Poor
title_sort how ict4d research fails the poor
topic HC Economic History and Conditions
T Technology (General)
url http://ir.unimas.my/id/eprint/11388/
http://ir.unimas.my/id/eprint/11388/
http://ir.unimas.my/id/eprint/11388/
http://ir.unimas.my/id/eprint/11388/1/How%20ICT4D%20Research%20Fails%20the%20Poor%20%28abstract%29.pdf