Aims and scope

Information Technology for Development , with an established record for publishing quality research and influencing practice, is the first journal to have explicitly addressed global information technology issues and opportunities. It publishes social and technical research on the effects of Information Technology (IT) on economic, social and human development. The objective of the Journal is to provide a forum for policy-makers, practitioners, and academics to discuss strategies and best practices, tools and techniques for ascertaining the effects of IT infrastructures in government, civil societies and the private sector, and theories and frameworks that explain the effects of IT on development. The concept of development relates to social, economic and human outcomes from the implementation of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) tools, technologies, and infrastructures.

The Journal addresses how to achieve significant, measurable improvements in addressing the Millennium Development Goals, Sustainable Development Goals through ICT: Strategies for sourcing goods and services; Best practices for working in different countries; Theories and frameworks that explain the effects of IT on development; and tools and techniques for ascertaining the effects of IT infrastructures in government, civil society, and the private sector.

The Journal accepts theoretical, empirical, and critical research using qualitative and/or quantitative methods that offer contributions to social, economic and/or human development outcomes in the following topics:

Development Issues
• IT ethics and development
• International legal frameworks
• IT and the global community
• Effect of mobile infrastructures on development
• IT and the emergence of the knowledge society
• International ICT dialogues and discourses
• ICT Implications for developed and transition economies
• Consultation and collaboration across the digital differences
• Adoption and diffusion of IT, and rate of uptake on development
• Security of network infrastructures, public key infrastructure
• Scalable infrastructures for development
• Attaining Millennium Development Goals through ICT
• Feasibility of Sustainable Development Goals
• Uptake of ICTs on micro-enterprises and their effect on the economy

Management of Sustainable Organizations
• Business models that enable innovations in ICTs to be applied in organizations
• Micro-enterprise Development through ICTs
• Digital innovations to create new organizational forms
• Entrepreneurial innovations in underserved communities and regions
• Innovative uses of mobile technologies for development
• Blockchain and open source software for smart contracts and telecommunications systems
• Data Analytics for achieving development outcomes

Health Informatics for Development
• Health Equity and use of ICTs for the equitable provision of healthcare
• Medical informatics and telehealth for underserved communities
• Mobile health (mHealth) for improving healthcare outcomes
• Innovations in bioinformatics for improving health outcomes
• Information for action in healthcare
• Health information systems for local and regional development
• Rural health infrastructures on improvements in people’s lives or sustainable development
• ICTs for community health and development

Open Development
• Sustainable Open Development Business Models and Ecosystems
• Peer production projects which include open source, citizen science, or crowdsourcing communities, where the community is driving product innovation
• Peer Production of Knowledge Goods
• Collective Intelligence, Action and Resources
• Open Science and Education

Electronic Government
• IT infrastructure for public administration and reform of legal frameworks
• Human resource development (HRD) frameworkss
• eGovernance for good government (eGovernment, eDemocracy and eBusiness)
• Small and Medium Enterprise (SME) access to public procurement systems
• Systems that promote Civic Engagement
• Social Networking for Civil Society

Global Information Systems (GIS)
• Focus on the strategic and operational advantages of including location and place as part of analytics and information systems in the ICT4D context
• Role of spatial information systems
• Metropolitan growth and GIS
• Technologies and concepts, as applied to management of information systems
• Business intelligence (BI)
• Decision support systems (DSS)
• Knowledge management (KM)
• Cloud technology and mobile solutions

Public Policy for the IT Industry
• Innovations in capacity building for ICT development (education in IT, skills for ICT development)
• IT strategies for development (national and sectoral)
• ICT and political development in transitional economies
• ICT standards and dependency
• Cyber-security
• Procurement: public procurement information systems, sourcing strategies

Information Technology for Development is the official journal of the Association for Information Systems (AIS) Special Interest Group on Global Development and is a publication of the Commonwealth Secretariat. 

Special Issue on Alternative Local[ised] Philosophies for Sustainability Transformation in ICT4D
Submission Date: 2025-05-31

Special Issue Editor(s)

David Kreps, University of Galway, Galway, Ireland
david.kreps@universityofgalway.ie

Devinder Thapa, University of Agder, Kristiansand, Norway,
devinder.thapa@uia.no

Sam Zaza, Middle Tennessee State University, USA
sam.zaza@mtsu.edu

Caroline Khene, Institute of Development Studies, Brighton, United Kingdom
c.khene@ids.ac.uk

Aims and Scope

This special issue aims to give voice to those whose philosophical perspectives are not well represented in the global norths, but whose views - including on the notions of ‘global norths’ and ‘global souths’ (Halvorsen & Zaragocin, 2021) and upon the contested nature of ‘transformation’ (Markus & Rowe 2023) - may improve our understanding through a more equal conversation.  We understand transformation as a holistic paradigm shift in terms of ontology, epistemology, and practice, and much less as a prescribed, top-down, vision-driven organizational change style of transformation (Tana et al., 2023), all-too-often open to charges of (post)colonial influence.

The editors seek to represent an inclusive theoretical framework, incorporating both Western and non-Western perspectives, which we believe is crucial for addressing the complexities of sustainable development in diverse global contexts.

Sustainable development, as broadly defined by the Brundtland Commission, entails meeting present needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own (WCED, 1987). To operationalize sustainable development, the United Nations General Assembly promulgated a set of 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in 2015, later adopted by all UN member states (UN, 2015). However, the ongoing dialogue and debate surrounding Western thinking's role in shaping the conceptualization and implementation of sustainable development highlights the need for a more inclusive approach that recognizes the diversity of perspectives (Capra & Luisi, 2014; Escobar, 2018; Táíwò, 2022). Examples of ongoing debate point to issues related to a lack of contextualisation of the SDGs and realist metrics, power imbalances and neo-colonial practices by global powers, an emphasis on economic growth leading to extractive and exploitative models contributing to environmental degradation and social inequalities. The sustainability transformation requires not just sustainable development for the global souths but partnerships with and change within the global norths – and perhaps new terminology altogether.

The notion of ‘southern theory’ is relatively new in ICT4D.  Edward Said’s 1979 “Orientalism,” and Gayatri Spivak’s “Can the subaltern speak?” (1988) were likely the inspiration, but “Southern Theory,” as Raewyn Connell’s (2007) book describes it, or as de Sousa Santos (2014) called it, “Epistemologies of the South” is something for which there has been a call for exploration in the field of ICT4D (Kreps & Bass, 2019; Kreps, 2023).  Some streams of Western philosophy – e.g., Marx, critical theory, Arendt, Foucault – have been focused on personhood and social organization, and in this respect could be regarded as evolving towards a more (pre-colonial) African approach.  Indian and Chinese pre-Western epistemological, philosophical, and social positions and practices are arguably similar. Meanwhile, as Said and Spivak exemplify, contemporary non-Western philosophies have drawn benefits as well as differing from, in particular, this counter-history in Western philosophy.  An exploration, for example, of how Confucian ethics of kinship and loyalty, or the compassion and consensus building in Buddhism, or the Shinto, Hindu, and Bantu attention to how dynamic forces work through ancestors, places, and communities may temper the individualism and modernity of many western philosophical approaches, may be long overdue.  A sense of relationality, context, and contingency as foundational conditions of possibility for self-concept may bring profound insights to the Western focus on autonomous individuality.

Meanwhile, the sustainability transformation - along with the digital transformation - is one that, in particular, requires a deeper understanding than it is often given - and a more global and inclusive perspective that allows for a multiplicity of views in different contexts.   Capra and Luisi (2014) argue that an inclusive theoretical framework integrating both Eastern and Western perspectives could provide a more comprehensive understanding of sustainable development, accounting for diverse cultural, social, and environmental contexts. This inclusive approach is essential for addressing the needs and priorities of both Northern and Southern regions. Norwegian philosopher Arne Naess established the philosophical roots of sustainable development in 'deep ecology', drawing from both Eastern and Western philosophical traditions (Naess, 1973). Deep ecology underscores the intrinsic worth of all organisms and advocates for their preservation not solely for human benefit but for the integrity of ecosystems. It challenges anthropocentric perspectives, emphasizing a re-evaluation of human relationships with nature.

Connecting digital technology to sustainable development necessitates an information system capable of integrating data from various sources and facilitating collaboration among multiple parties. However, digitalization processes sometimes stray from the principles of sustainable development (Karki & Thapa, 2021) and prioritize economic benefits. While existing digitalization processes primarily focus on economic benefits, equal attention should be paid to societal and environmental impacts (Capra & Luisi, 2014). A shift is required from an anthropocentric to an eco-centric approach, aligning with Capra and Luisi's notion of designing a sustainable society that harmonizes with nature's ability to sustain life (Capra & Luisi, 2014). Achieving this requires embedding the essence of deep ecology into the digitalization process.

Organizations can adopt an ethical framework rooted in deep ecology when introducing digitalization processes. Such an approach necessitates a paradigm shift in mindset, moving from a mechanistic to a systemic view of interconnected entities (Capra & Luisi, 2014). Given the interconnected and interdependent nature of sustainability phenomena, studies should adopt a systemic approach, providing a holistic view of ontological and epistemological dimensions (Capra & Luisi, 2014). This entails not only assessing the impact of digitalization on sustainability but also designing digitalization processes based on sustainable principles, including insights from non-Western perspectives in epistemological investigations. For example, Vandana Shiva's work emphasizes the importance of indigenous knowledge systems and local communities in sustainable development efforts (Shiva, 1997). Such an inclusive theoretical framework, incorporating non-Western perspectives, is crucial for addressing the complexities of sustainable development in diverse global contexts (Capra & Luisi, 2014; Escobar, 2018; Naess, 1973).

ICT4D can support alternative philosophies of governance, such as deep ecology, by facilitating decentralized decision-making, promoting knowledge sharing and awareness, enabling monitoring and accountability, and fostering global collaboration and solidarity. By harnessing the potential of ICT4D, we can work towards governance structures that are more responsive to ecological concerns and conducive to the well-being of both human and non-human beings.

The editors believe this topic could attract a very fruitful set of conceptual papers with some fascinating illustrative examples from around the world. We are not looking for papers about an Information System (IS) in a particular community. We are specifically looking for papers about how a non-Western philosophy is shaping or moulding an IS in a community.  Examples could include (but are not limited to):

    How might integrating Buddhist principles of collectivity and socially situated identity contribute to the development of community-driven ICT solutions aimed at reducing energy consumption and waste in local contexts?
    In what ways could leveraging Confucian ethics of kinship and loyalty support the resilience and sustainability of family-owned businesses amidst climate-related challenges, utilizing ICT tools for adaptation and continuity?
    How can a Bantu worldview, which emphasizes dynamic forces encompassing ancestorial and elderly knowledge, spirituality, and collectivity, inform the design and implementation of digitalised fundraising (crowdfunding) practice, such as ‘Stokvel’ in South Africa and ‘Harambee’ in Kenya?
    How could a deeper understanding of the Dreaming and its interconnectedness between community and land empower the establishment of digitally-enabled healthcare networks tailored to the unique needs of remote indigenous communities in Australia's northern territories?
    How might the ancestral ties, familial networks, cultural values, and religious affiliations prevalent in Middle Eastern societies drive collaborative efforts towards sustainable development initiatives, utilizing ICT platforms as facilitators and enablers of collective action and progress?
    What are the types of information flows that can help decentre Global Norths policy and strategies to accommodate perspectives from the Global Souths?
    Are existing IS theories still relevant with new paradigms, such as sustainable transformations where the focus is on change in Global North philosophies?