[AISWorld] Extended Deadline Special Issues on the Conceptualization of Development in ICT4D in the Journal ITD

[Mathias Hatakka]

The submission deadline for the special issues on the "Conceptualization of Development in ICT4D” in the Journal of Information Technology for Development (ITD) has been extended to January 30th 2016.

The special issue seeks to solicit research that investigates the various ways in which development has been viewed in ICT4D, ideas on how it should be viewed, discussions of how and why the notion of development is changing, and epistemological questions of how we can measure and evaluate how and when development is taking place. In particular we look for papers that 1) explicitly theorise the concept of development, and 2) cross-disciplinary work, i.e. studies that are actively drawing from other disciplines.

We invite papers on the following sub-topics:

1.     How do we define development in ICT4D? What assumptions underpin a particular definition of development? On which conceptual basis is a definition of development constructed?
2.     How can we assess, measure, and evaluate development in a particular context of ICT4D? This could include critical discussion of various development indexes, such as Gross Domestic Product, the Human Development Index, the Happiness Index, and so on.
3.     What should ICT-based development interventions focus on? This could be analysed in the light of which “space” of development is being addressed. For example, in relation to gender, are we seeking to promote equal access to technology between men and women, or to enhance the agency of women?
4.     Which social processes are enacted in a particular space of ICT4D? How do we understand and assess the affordances of ICTs in these processes?
5.     What are the roles of institutions and governance models in ICT4D? For example, how should responsibility and liability for development be distributed and managed?
6.     How can we understand, describe, and evaluate the relations between the use of ICTs and development? What could be the impact of technology for development, including positive as well as negative influences?
7.     What are the strengths and limitations of various conceptual devices and theoretical lenses? What do the lenses we use allow us to see? And what are the lenses we use filtering out?
8.     Which methodologies are appropriate in answering our research questions, given a particular take on development?
9.     What can we learn from other disciplines, e.g. geography, development studies, economics, political science, organisation studies, media and communication studies?
10.  What critical approaches could be employed in ICT4D, in particular considering processes and consequences of globalization and the growth of market economies?

The CFP can be found at: http://tinyurl.com/puommcz

DEADLINES
Deadline for submissions of papers: January 30, 2016 (New extended deadline)
Notification of initial acceptance: May 18, 2016
Deadline for revised papers: July 30, 2016
Notification of final decisions: October 30, 2016
Deadline for final versions: December 30, 2016
Tentative Publication Date: April 2017
If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact Mathias Hatakka: mathias.hatakka at oru.se<mailto:mathias.hatakka at oru.se>

Kind Regards from the special issue guest editors:

Mathias Hatakka, Örebro University, Sweden (mathias.hatakka at oru.se <mailto:mathias.hatakka at oru.se> )
Yingqin Zheng, Royal Holloway, University of London, UK (yingqin.zheng at rhul.ac.uk<mailto:yingqin.zheng at rhul.ac.uk>)
Sundeep Sahay, University of Oslo, Norway (sundeep.sahay at yahoo.com<mailto:sundeep.sahay at yahoo.com>)
Annika Andersson, Örebro University, Sweden (annika.andersson at oru.se<mailto:annika.andersson at oru.se>)