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Open research questions in ICT Impact and Policies

57 unresolved questions extracted from the limitations and future-work sections of 1,583 ICT Impact and Policies papers in our library. Each links back to the study that raised it.

What the literature leaves open

  • Future research should explore nonlinear models, interaction effects, and sectoral FDI patterns to better capture the complexity of these relationships. These interpretations warrant further investigation.

    Digital Infrastructure and its Impact on Foreign Direct Investment in Central and Eastern Europe · 2026 · DOI

  • The rapid growth of the digital economy has reshaped society, lifestyles, and economic activity, and is increasingly expected to drive green development. However, the role of population in the digital economy–carbon emissions nexus has been largely overlooked. While human activities are a primary source of CO2 emissions, the digital economy influences both these activities and the resulting emissions. This study addresses this research gap by examining the combined effects of the digital economy and multiple population factors—total population, mobility, structure, and density—on CO2 emissions, along with their regional heterogeneity and spatial effects. Using panel data from 31 Chinese provinces (2000–2020) from the China Statistical Yearbook, we calculated the digital economy index via the entropy weight method and applied fixed effects models, structural equation modeling, threshold models, spatial econometric models, and heterogeneity analysis. Methodologically, we extend previous work by integrating all population variables structural equation model, overcoming the limitations of single-mediator approaches, and by constructing a population-based spatial weight matrix to capture both spatial and demographic spillovers. into a This study clarifies the role of population in the association between the digital economy and carbon emissions. It considers not only total population but also population mobility, population structure, and population density. The structural equation model summarizes indirect associations between the digital economy and carbon emissions through different population factors, overcoming the limitation of single-pathway mediation models found in most studies. In the spatial econometric analysis, most existing studies employ either geographical distance matrices or economic distance matrices. This paper constructs a population- based spatial distance matrix to examine spatial associations between the digital economy and carbon emissions while accounting for both demographic similarity and geographic proximity. This approach provides a more comprehensive understanding of how population dynamics are associated with environmental outcomes, thereby enhancing the robustness and relevance of the findings in environmental economics. The results suggest that the digital economy is generally associated with lower CO2 emissions, with stronger negative associations in western regions and along the Hu Huanyong line. The added Lewbel-style IV column in Table 1 yields a negative lnDEI coefficient after retaining the original static fixed-effects structure. The added spatial robustness columns in Table 2 report full control-variable estimates for geographic-distance and contiguity matrices; the contiguity matrix preserves the negative and significant Wx, total association, and spatial rho, whereas the full- that indicates control geographic-distance estimates are weaker. Threshold analysis the emission-reduction association becomes significant only after population size and density exceed certain levels. However, population growth and high mobility can offset these gains by increasing transport, logistics, housing, and infrastructure-related emissions.

    Interaction impact of demographic and digital economy on carbon emissions in China · 2026 · DOI

  • The proposed DUII–EWGI framework provides a practical approach for assessing urban digital sustainability in contexts where direct ICT energy and e-waste monitoring data are limited.

    Assessing urban digital sustainability through composite indicators of digital use intensity and e-waste pressure in India · 2026 · DOI

  • Abstract Digital transformation is increasingly promoted as a pathway towards sustainable development; however, its environmental implications remain insufficiently quantified, particularly in rapidly urbanising regions where digital adoption is expanding faster than environmental monitoring systems.

    Assessing urban digital sustainability through composite indicators of digital use intensity and e-waste pressure in India · 2026 · DOI

  • Future research should explore the long-term effects of 5G and VHCN on SMEs, considering differ- ences across industrial sectors, geographical regions, and varying regulatory environments.

    How does 5G technology deployment impact e-turnover in SMEs? · 2026 · DOI

  • References In order to create digital spaces that are more inclusive and sustainable to marginalized groups, it will not be sufficient to use chance alone. To achieve this target, specific policies must be in place, it must have consistent investment and leaders who must prioritize the needs of the people. Both UNESCO (2021) and World Bank (2020) mention that belonging to the digital world means being beyond merely having access internet. The underprivileged communities should have a policy that supports them and powerful systems of empowerment that are sustainable. It is here that the policy should intervene, provide equal opportunities to access the digital space, engage in it, and have a future in which digital tools are sustainable and accessible to everyone. the to The basis is to fortify digital infrastructure and make it affordable. A lot of the marginalized communities, 87 Al-Mamary, Y. H., & Alshallaqi, M. (2023). Making inclusive: An digital government more integrated perspective. Social Sciences, 12(11), 557. https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci12110557 Apriliyanti, I. D., Kusumasari, B., Pramusinto, A., & Setianto, W. A. (2021). Digital Divide in ASEAN member states: Analyzing the critical factors for successful e-government programs. Online Information Review, 45(3), https://doi.org/10.1108/OIR-07- 440–460. 2020-0306 Basu, S. (2004). E-government and developing countries: An overview. International Review of Law, Computers & Technology, 18(1), 109–132. https://doi.org/10.1080/13600860410001674779 NIU Journal of Social Sciences Breisinger, C., Keenan, M., & Mbuthia, J. (2023). A way forward: Policy-driven transformation. International Food Policy Research Institute. Chen, Y. N., Chen, H. M., Huang, W., & Ching, R. K. (2006). in E-government developed and developing countries.

    The Intersection of Digital Inclusivity and Media Sustainability, Challenges and Opportunities in Marginalized Communities · 2026 · DOI

  • Li, H., & Xu, J. (2024). Impact of digital government on digital transformation of enterprises from the economic of sustainable development. Sustainability, 2667. 16(5), https://doi.org/10.3390/su16052667 Lubis, S., Purnomo, E. P., Lado, J. A., & Hung, C.-F. (2024). Electronic governance in advancing through sustainable development goals systematic literature review. Discover Global Society, 77. https://doi.org/10.1007/s44282-024-00077-7 Mesa, D. (2023). Digital divide, e-government and trust in public service: The key role of education. Frontiers in Sociology, 8, 1140416. https://doi.org/10.3389/fsoc.2023.1140416 2(1), Ilieva, G., Yankova, T., Ruseva, M., Dzhabarova, Y., Zhekova, V., Klisarova-Belcheva, S., Mollova, T., & Dimitrov, A. (2024).

    The Intersection of Digital Inclusivity and Media Sustainability, Challenges and Opportunities in Marginalized Communities · 2026 · DOI

  • These results are consistent with Kersan-Škabić (2021), who argues that infrastructure alone is insufficient to drive convergence; rather, it is ICT usage and digital skills that determine the capacity of Southeast European countries to catch up with EU benchmarks.

    Digital Connectivity and Transformation in Southeast Europe: Comparative Insights from EU Member States · 2026 · DOI

  • There are clear limitations to the research presented here, the most significant one being a lack of data, particularly longitudinal data, on which to make assessments of revenue and concentration developments in the media and Internet 117 THE POLITICAL ECONOMY OF NETWORKED MEDIA sectors in the Nordic region. Alongside this, relevant data on non-traditional content creators, such as influencers, is lacking. The revenues of these actors are not included nor estimated in this study. To that end, we acknowledge that our data is riddled with holes, some of which we have filled with estimations based on market reports and trade press news coverage. We nevertheless believe that certain estimations, such as market share and revenue by the large, global technology companies dominating core and backbone Internet services, are warranted, as they provide at least a certain yardstick from which to understand concentration tendencies and the distribution of revenue within the wider network media economy. Furthermore, there is weakness in the time-period covered by this research, covering only five years from 2018 to 2022, which leaves out evaluations of long-term trends, as well as estimations of the real effects of the Covid-19 pandemic. While the four countries analysed here are relatively comparative in terms of media, telecom, and Internet industry structures, there are also differences in their regulatory and historical particularities, not least access to data, which should be considered in evaluating these concentration measures. Future research should therefore expand the empirical foundation on which revenue and concentration trends are considered in the Nordic context, attempting to patch up holes in the data that we were unable to fill.

    The political economy of networked media: The revenue and concentration of communication markets in the Nordics · 2026 · DOI

  • First of all, the key limitation of this study concerns the measurement of core variables, namely GICT, SU, and DFI. Another limitation of this study relates to the measurement of REC, which includes nuclear energy. Last limitation of this study relates to the measurement of SD.

    The role of green ICT, digital financial inclusion, and smart urbanization in sustainable development · 2026 · DOI

  • This review shows that digital divide experiences of migrant women have been understudied, and therefore we recommend that more empirical research, with multiple types of data and longitudinal design, in various immigrant-dense countries, should be conducted by adopting the theoretical lenses of lived experience and intersectionality, so that more voices of these women can be heard.

    A Systematic Review of the Digital Divide Experienced by Migrant Women · 2025 · DOI

  • Purpose In light of the shift in focus from information communication technology (ICT) access (access divide) and skills (skills divide) to the tangible impacts of ICT use (impact divide), a growing number of scholars have called for further investigation into the inter-territorial and multi-dimensional aspects of the digital divide in China.

    Analyzing the role of ICT in bridging the digital divide: a transitional analytical framework for ICT access to impact · 2023 · DOI

  • Finally, we find limited evidence that world society institutionalization of ICT norms has a positive effect on access to mobile phones globally; however, the relationship between state-level measures of world society penetration and mobile phone subscriptions is unclear.

    Economic Dependency and Rural Exclusion · 2022 · DOI

  • This research also contributes to the current ICT literature by enhancing our current knowledge about publicly accessible ICT facilities in an under-investigated setting, and further offers an approach to telecentre evaluations in similar contexts inspired by the DRG model.

    Minding the Design Reality Gap · 2021 · DOI

  • The article details these outcomes and demonstrates why ‘thicker’ and more transformative kinds of ICT integration will remain elusive in the absence of changes to non-ICT-specific structures and power relations that limit Africa's ability to participate in the global information economy.

    Industrial transformation or business as usual? Information and communication technologies and Africa's place in the global information economy · 2014 · DOI

  • A few studies have documented distinct gender differences in communication patterns, perceived emancipation from parents, and emotional reliability (Ling, 2001, 2005; Ling & Yttri, 2005; Park, 2005; Vincent, 2006).

    Motivations for Text Messaging: Gender and Age Differences among Young Adults · 2013

  • (3) Should the government allow the people who own the infrastructure to adopt practices that are going to favor or disfavor certain uses of data, applications, content, or certain users, and if so, to what extent? The answers to this question will determine both whether the Internet will remain an open platform where people can innovate without permission and whether the kind of radical disruption that has marked Internet technology will continue.

    Regulation and Technology · 2013

  • While enforcement may be limited by the structural power of foreign corporations or political interference, imposing obligations on foreign tech firms is possible because similar obligations are already being imposed in other leading jurisdictions.

    Regulating Competition in African Digital Markets: From Form to Substance · 2026 · DOI

  • A solution that has been successfully tested, but which is still lacking proper wide deployment is represented by digital helpers, considered to be the missing link of the digitalisation process.

    Research note: Between infrastructure updates and societal needs - the missing link of digitalisation · 2025 · DOI

  • ” The analysis is followed by further research on digital divide barriers, addressing how the newly installed digital devices/facilities/services affect the expatriate population beyond the traditional language barriers.

    Growing Digital Divide for Expatriates Population in China: A User Perspective Analysis During the COVID-19 Pandemic · 2024 · DOI

  • The analysis encompasses the coexistence of advanced technologies with disparities in living standards, resource appropriation mechanisms impacting both populations and environments, and the underexplored negative consequences of techno-economic development.

    Navigating the paradox of social development: intersections of technology, exploitation, and sustainable welfare · 2023 · DOI

  • It has emerged as a parallel entity alongside conventional society, where an individual's membership is not only limited to the physical world but also extends to the digital realm.

    Examining the emergence of digital society and the digital divide in India: A comparative evaluation between urban and rural areas · 2023 · DOI

  • Yet, while such aspirations are widespread, little is known about the views of those tasked with supervising and supporting digitally driven public participation for rural progress.

    <b>Sociotechnical infrastructuring for digital participation in rural development:</b> A survey of public administrators in Germany · 2023 · DOI

  • The present study fills this gap in the literature and quantitatively evaluates the effect of digitalization on entrepreneurial activity and sustainable competitiveness.

    The impact of digitalization on entrepreneurial activity and sustainable competitiveness: A panel data analysis · 2023 · DOI

  • Despite unequal rates of expansion across the developing world, processes that explain disparities in digital technology access are under-studied from macro, cross-national sociological perspectives.

    Economic Dependency and Rural Exclusion · 2022 · DOI

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57 open questions have been extracted from the limitations and future-work passages of 1,583 ICT Impact and Policies papers in our library. Each one below links back to the study that raised it, so you can read the original claim in context.

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