Terms of engagement: Digital inclusion research during a pandemic

When: 2:00-3:00pm Thursday, 27 April 2023

Where: RH206

The COVID-19 pandemic revealed enduring inequalities in digital engagement, prompting a rush of research reports exploring people’s adoption and use of digital technologies during the restrictions established to combat the disease (e.g. Chadwick et al., 2022; Weil et al., 2021). While research into people’s digital engagement is well established, evidence suggests that the field is not yet “mature” (Chikomba et al., 2023), and that there is some inconsistency around terminology, conceptualization, and approaches to studying digital inclusion phenomena. This seminar will explore key issues and challenges in digital inclusion research, drawing on the organizers’ experiences of researching the field during the COVID-19 pandemic. We will consider key questions around the conceptualization of digital inclusion, and challenges we have encountered researching the area, including:

●  Terminology and definitions within the digital inclusion research field

●  Researching priority groups and digital equity

●  Approaches to longitudinal research to analyse the longer-term outcomes of digital engagement and digital inclusion initiatives

Jennifer Campbell-Meier is Senior Lecturer in the School of Information Management. Her research interests focus on the management and evaluation of library services, especially those services involving organizational change and she also has a research focus on digital inclusion.

Anne Goulding is Professor of Library and Information Management in the School of Information Management. Her main research interest is the management of library and information services, with a specific focus on how GLAMR organizations demonstrate their impact and value, including their role in community-based digital inclusion initiatives.

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