In Search for Holistic ICT4D Research: A Systematic Literature Review

Abstract

The technologist vs. contextualist debate has divided Information and Communications Technology for Development (ICT4D) research. Today, the field is disconnected across three distinct research streams, which should be consolidated into a more holistic discourse. However, this endeavor remained unfeasible to date, because the similarities and differences of these ICT4D streams had not been clearly conceptualized. Our present work addresses this gap in knowledge through a systematic review of extant ICT4D research from 2007-2016. We provide an in-depth analysis of 48 articles, identify and discuss the characteristics of each research stream, and offer new insights on how knowledge in the field might be consolidated into a more holistic fashion.