Information Systems for Development Symposium

UNSW Canberra (aka ADFA) is hosting a free Information Systems  for Development Symposium (ICT4D), in Canberra 25 to 25 September 2014. This will feature Professor Robert Davison, City University of Hong Kong.

Current Trends, Future Prospects in ICT4D Research

Professor Robert Davison, City University of Hong Kong

Abstract

While ICT4D research is widely conducted in Developing Countries, it is not always very visible to audiences in Developed Countries. Some of this research is commissioned by entities like the World Bank and various UN agencies. Other research projects are initiated and conducted by academics in Developing Countries. It is this latter type of research that I am most familiar with and that will be my focus. Academics, globally, seek to publish their research in the best outlet they can identify. However, there is not always a good match between the individual academic's objectives and those of the publication outlets. As the editor of both mainstream IS journals and a journal that focuses on Developing Countries, I am particularly conscious of this tension. For instance, many academics in countries as far flung as Iran, Nigeria, Fiji and Brazil send their papers to top journals in the IS field, like the ISJ and IT&People. Unfortunately, these papers are almost invariably rejected – because the research topic does not fit well with the journal selected and the quality of research is too weak. Nevertheless, there is a select group of journals that focus exclusively on ICT4D. These include EJISDC, ITD and ITID. However, although these journals do not claim the status of the top journals in the field, they do have respectable standards. In this presentation, I will explore the kind of research that is currently undertaken in ICT4D, focusing in particular on the key issues of context, theory and epistemology. I will also explore how I would like to see ICT4D research developing in the future.

Bio

Robert Davison is a Professor of Information Systems at the City University of Hong Kong. His current research focuses on virtual Knowledge Management and Collaboration in Chinese SMEs. He has published over 70 articles in a variety of journals such as MIS Quarterly, the Information Systems Journal, IT & People, Journal of IT, Journal of the AIS, Journal of the American Society for Information Science & Technology, IEEE Transactions on Engineering Management, Decision Support Systems, Communications of the AIS, and Communications of the ACM. Robert is the Editor-in-Chief of the Electronic Journal of Information Systems in Developing Countries, co-Editor-in-Chief of Information Systems Journal, and co-Editor-in-Chief of Information Technology & People.