Digital economic and social relations within society in general, including access to online (public) services, are about much more than digital technological solutions. Access, equality, efficiency and democratic processes can all be considered as having an overall importance in forming an inclusive society which meets individual needs to all. In practical terms, individual and professional (companies, public institutions and other forms of organizations) use of ICT (information and communication technology) is also about motivation, competence, resources and ways of organizing among senders and recipients and a communication platform for the society as a whole. Even so, there will always be a divide based on economic, social, demographic, cultural and geographical contrasts on various geographical scales between those that are online and those that are not.
Access through ICT has also become a critical component for the way we can organize important public services in an effective way that will be available to all. One may likewise want to question the implications of unequal use of ICT, for those taking part and thus connected, contrasting their experience with those that are left out.
Your tentative study will address some of these complexities of social, economic and place-based contexts as key components of digital divides and their bridging. Formulate a master research project in all its methodological details on the basis of choice of research question that addresses a digital divide issue and define, elaborate and discuss your methodological choices.
The research design should include the following components:
Section one:
Working title
Short introduction:
Aims and objectives
Research questions
Section two:
METHODOLOGY:
Research design: inductive or deductive; qualitative or mixed methods. Choice of research strategy (e.g., experiment, survey, case study, interview, observation, text analysis, secondary sources, etc.). Justification for how this strategy addresses the research questions.
Approaches of sampling (random or non-random) and justification for sampling design selected. Description of how this sample will be selected and size of the sample.
Approaches to data gathering. This may include survey, case study, interviews, focus groups etc. Benefits and potential drawbacks of using approach(es) selected. Details of how the approach will be used in the current study including how instruments will be designed and administered/distributed.
Plan for the data analysis.
Ethical considerations.
Additions: If relevant: Questionnaires for survey or interview guides.
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