A Compound Generic Quantitative Framework for Measuring Digital Divide

Abstract

—The term digital divide had been used in the literature to conceptualize the gap in using and utilizing information and communication technologies. Digital divide can be identified on different levels such as individuals, groups, societies, organizations and countries. On the other hand, the concept of e-Inclusion is coined to define activities needed to bridge digital divide. One of the most challenging research areas in digital divide that had been a subject for exhaustive studies is measuring digital divide. Researchers have proposed many metrics and indices to measure digital divide. However, most of the proposed measures are bivariate comparisons that reduce measurement to comparisons of Internet penetration rates or alike. This paper proposes a compound generic framework for quantitative measuring of digital divide on the individuals or group level. The proposed framework takes into account the context of the digital divide in each society.