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Digital Public Goods for Development: A Conspectus and Research Agenda

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Freedom and Social Inclusion in a Connected World (ICT4D 2022)

Part of the book series: IFIP Advances in Information and Communication Technology ((IFIPAICT,volume 657))

Abstract

Digital public goods (DPGs) for development is a relatively new discourse in the field of information technology for development (ICT4D). DPGs are currently portrayed by international organisations and donors as key enablers towards the accomplishment of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). However, there is a paucity of research that establishes the link between the DPGs and the SDG and examines the contribution of DPGs to development. This paper introduces the DPG discourse and relevant theoretical concepts. We then present a case illustration of the UN-centred discourse on DPGs, showing a technology orientation in the goals and mission statements. Drawing on research on DHIS2, commonly used in the discourse as a prominent example of DPGs, we develop a research agenda related to the methods, theory and philosophy we find appropriate for advancing our understanding of DPGs, the link between DPGs and the SDGs and for development in general.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    https://openmrs.org/.

  2. 2.

    https://www.mosip.io/.

  3. 3.

    http://dhis2.org.

  4. 4.

    https://digitalsquare.org/.

  5. 5.

    https://digitalpublicgoods.net/.

  6. 6.

    See https://digitalpublicgoods.net/.

  7. 7.

    See for example [11] or http://dhis2.org.

  8. 8.

    https://unstats.un.org/sdgs/report/2021/.

  9. 9.

    https://digitalpublicgoods.net/standard/, accessed 14.01.2022.

  10. 10.

    https://digitalsquare.org/digital-health-global-goods, accessed 14.01.2022.

  11. 11.

    https://www.codevelop.fund/aboutfaq, accessed 14.01.2022.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Alliance Manchester Business School, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK

    Brian Nicholson

  2. HISP-Centre and Department of Informatics, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway

    Petter Nielsen & Johan Ivar Sæbø

  3. e-Lab: Research Laboratory on E-Government and E-Business, Getulio Vargas Foundation, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

    Ana Paula Tavares

Authors
  1. Brian Nicholson
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  2. Petter Nielsen
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  3. Johan Ivar Sæbø
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  4. Ana Paula Tavares
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Petter Nielsen .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Royal Holloway University of London, Egham, UK

    Yingqin Zheng

  2. The University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK

    Pamela Abbott

  3. ESAN University, Lima, Peru

    Jose Antonio Robles-Flores

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Nicholson, B., Nielsen, P., Sæbø, J.I., Tavares, A.P. (2022). Digital Public Goods for Development: A Conspectus and Research Agenda. In: Zheng, Y., Abbott, P., Robles-Flores, J.A. (eds) Freedom and Social Inclusion in a Connected World. ICT4D 2022. IFIP Advances in Information and Communication Technology, vol 657. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-19429-0_27

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-19429-0_27

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