The digital gap and community informatics

Literature review examines efficacy of community informatics approaches

This literature review examines existing literature on the effectiveness of public access centres and related community informatics approaches in tackling exclusion. This paper identifies the potential strengths and weaknesses of a range of community informatics initiatives as a means of providing effective support for people living in predominantly disadvantaged areas.

The review addresses the following questions:

what do we already know? What evidence currently exists from around the world on electronically networked communities as a way of improving life opportunities and support for people living in deprived communities?
how robust is the existing empirical research? Does it provide methodologically rigorous findings that can be used to inform the work and practice of policy-makers, community groups, practitioners and researchers?
what gaps exist in current research, and how do these shape a future research agenda?

The authors determine five primary lacunae in the existing research on community informatics:

communities fit for the 'information poor'?
connecting community places to community spaces?
shaping the technology
defining the digital divide
sustainability

Further information about the survey methods and sources is available from the Community Informatics Research and Applications Unit (CIRA) at the University of Teesside, Middlesbrough TS1 3BA, or can found at: www.cira.org.uk/resources/

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The digital gap and community informatics