Information and Communication Technologies for International Development Research Overview

This project involves a collaborative research project between the UW, Microsoft, and the Gates Foundation to understand the larger ICT4D field. ICT4D is a rapidly expanding field with roots in Development Studies and Development Communication as well as the Appropriate Technology movement and other similar fields. The area encompasses the theoretical perspectives of the humanities and social science, research methodologies from social sciences, science and engineering studies, and the design perspectives of engineering. As such, it is a multidisciplinary endeavor and requires expertise across many fields. Even a comprehensive literature review, then, becomes complicated since traditional modes of academic inquiry do not easily lend themselves to such wildly multidisciplinary work as ICT4D research.
This project is designed to bring together researchers who have been working in the field for a significant amount of time and have them contribute to a document that will provide a comprehensive overview of the field and identify potential directions for future research and design. This research document will be valuable to a range of academics and practitioners, and it will establish the state of the field for moving forward productively.