Abstract Since the inception of gatekeeping research in 1940s, most studies on have been human‐centric, treating and studying individuals as gatekeepers, who perform their role using a combination following mechanisms: forming communities, and/or broadcasting, discovering‐searching, collecting, organizing, or protecting information. However, nature communication channels how information is produced by shared with users has fundamentally changed last 80 years. One significant change growing...

Little is known about the role of World Health Organization (WHO) in communicating with public on social media during a global health emergency. More specifically, there no study relationship between agendas WHO and Twitter users COVID-19 pandemic.

Background Although past research has focused on COVID-19–related frames in the news media, such may not accurately capture and represent perspectives of people from diverse backgrounds. Additionally, public attention to COVID-19 as reflected through social media is scarce. Objective This study identified about pandemic discourse Twitter, which voices opinions. also investigated amount those Twitter. Methods We collected 22 trending hashtags related United States 694,582 tweets written...

Digital inclusion research has focused overwhelmingly on access to information. But information by itself is of limited value unless the intended beneficiary capacity use it. It that delivers benefits. However, in and communication technologies for development literature, there little empirical work process which This study fills gap studying poor female mobile phone users rural India. identifies six stages models them.

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to present a mapping the evolution United Nation's (UN's) e‐Readiness assessments. highlights underlying assumptions and frames set recommendations for new secondary indicators strengthen indices. Design/methodology/approach This exploratory case study applies triangulated document review analysis. Findings UN's assessments have evolved from focus on Member State governments as “controllers information services” “facilitators information”. dynamic nature...

In India, men own around 70% of mobile phones, creating a gender digital divide for the most widely owned information and communication technology (ICT) in world. This study investigates factors responsible inability 245 female slum-dwellers India earning less than $2 day to phone. Open, axial selective coding survey responses shows that socio-cultural, economic, demographic, psychological, communication-related, health related inequalities lives respondents create eight economic barriers...

Since the application of mobile technology for financial services can contribute to economic development developing countries, it is critical examine inhibitors using money service in countries like India, which have an exceptionally low uptake this service. Mobile enables customer carry out transactions over a phone without requiring them own bank account. By adopting market separation perspective, theory-driven, exploratory study proposes and tests rare event logistic regression model...

The existing research on classifying innovations by libraries does not treat social innovation as a separate category. As result, library practitioners interested in implementing might find and benefit from the specific guidance for planning managing innovations. Using thematic analysis of literature 2009 to 2019, this study identifies six types means-related goals-oriented public libraries. This also proposes framework along spectrum user centered community maps nine challenges...

Microfinance offers a means for reaching the poor who are left out of formal financial sector. A fundamentally new way is needed to create scalable and sustainable business model meet this unmet need: catalytic innovation. Our study focused on Swayam Krishi Sangam (SKS), an archetype innovator. The insights gained from our 3-year longitudinal led proposed framework innovator encompassing five factors: customer focus social entrepreneurship mission. operational innovation, information...

Innovations are critical for public libraries but rarely does any primary research study the scope and interpretation of term “innovation” by libraries. Also, few existing innovation typologies based on data collected from This fills in gap eliciting 80 innovations reported administrators 108 award-winning United States, proposes first organic classification libraries, with following four types innovations: Program (access-oriented/use-oriented), Process...

Fieldwork is indispensable for understanding, explaining, and predicting the role of information communication technologies development (ICT4D) marginalized communities. Engaging with communities at heart ICT4D fieldwork. However, vulnerabilities can prevent them from participating in The goal this paper to report best practices engaging findings are grounded our fieldwork that consisted ten three-hour sessions, each including focus groups, surveys, hands-on exercises, 152 participants...

Social innovations implemented by public libraries rarely alleviate poverty. Mobile payments (i.e., financial transactions over mobile phones) represent the most widely used solution to poverty in developing countries, provided that people living have mobile, financial, and information literacy. This article reports a 3-year-plus study of proposing, testing, customizing, disseminating practice-based, outcome-driven, community-oriented social innovation form “unified literacy toolkit”...

ABSTRACT Member engagement can benefit professional associations, their members, and the profession. Rarely any studies adopt “information practices” approach to identify factors influencing associations' member engagement. The experiences, epiphanies, frequency of 11 information practices six SIG‐III officers volunteers when planning implementing 184 activities eight initiatives from 2020 2023 helped this autoethnography study 99 sub‐factors 18 online. Information production, dissemination,...

Mobile banking has created a new channel to reach over 2.5 billion unbanked poor in developing countries. Conventional mobile services require clients be able own phone and know how operate it. However, majority of the countries are illiterate or semi-literate earning fluctuating incomes, often less than USD2.00 day, live remote rural areas without reliable technology infrastructure. We evaluate three companies providing innovative services, ZERO, FINO, ESE, which do not All employ human...

In the backdrop of growing violence and burgeoning crime rates on campus, student safety is one topmost priorities for North American universities. While promises Internet-based personal wearable devices (PSWDs) are highly touted by manufacturers academic campuses that adopt them, there a lack empirical data level user (student) acceptance. Drawing literature IT adoption, in particular Unified Theory Acceptance Use Technology (UTAUT) model trusting beliefs, we propose to investigate factors...

Abstract A significant number of ICT4D projects funded by the developed world cannot meet their objectives. One cause failures is likely to be or shortcomings field research component since it an integral part a majority projects. Hence, becomes imperative for researchers able manage challenges encountered in research. Project management principles (PMP) concerned with scope, time, cost, quality, human resources, communications, and risks related variety may help challenges. However, PMP...

Cell phones are the fastest spreading information technology (IT) in developing world, with a penetration rate of over 61%. Hence, there is growing interest among governments, investors, banking industries, and retail giants like Wal-Mart to exploit this emerging channel communication for offering services expanding businesses more than 3 billion poor consumers earning less $2 per day. In response, number micro (individual), meso (community), macro (regional/ national)-level research...

Public libraries serve as anchors for thousands of communities across the United States. Innovations are critical survival and relevance public in country. Few studies, if any, identify best practices managing innovations based on experiential guidance shared by administrators that recognized their innovations. This empirical study fills gap identifying challenges solutions USA. A thematic content analysis qualitative responses collected through an online anonymous survey 219 211 106 urban...

Information services offered by academic libraries increasingly rely on assistive technologies (AT) to facilitate disabled patrons’ retrieval and use of information for learning teaching. However, access AT might not always lead their use, resulting in the underutilization libraries. We adopt an inward-looking, service innovation perspective improve patrons using AT. The open coding qualitative responses collected from administrators librarians 186 public universities United States, reveals...

Microfinance provides financial services to the extremely poor who are not served by banks. At heart of microfinance is microcredit which small loans unbanked seed local businesses. may help alleviate poverty because access finance has a positive impact on economic development. The unmet need for spawned over 11,000 institutions (MFIs) 2010, but 90 percent these MFIs with fewer than 10,000 clients. This article presents three case examples in India that deployed information systems (IS)...

ABSTRACT The mobile phone is the most widely used information and communication technology (ICT) among poor communities in developing nations. Mobile banking lies at intersection of digital financial inclusion these bottom billions. a social informatics phenomenon embedded context; its adoption ongoing use depends on ability to address barriers using phones services. Hence, author critically examines pro‐poor perspective. Cultural contextual characteristics significantly influence continued...