Idols of the ICT4D theatre

The results below reflect searches done in August 2014, and URLs were correct at the time of the searches. A quantitative bibliometric method was used, which has many disadvantages.

The term "capabilities" is often used not in the sense of Amartya Sen's technical term, but as a generic term. For example, on the publisher (Inderscience) website of the International Journal of Innovation and Sustainable Development, the word "capability" was returned 1386 times, yet "capability and Sen" returned zero results. A quick scan through these results show that capabilities is used in the contexts of a firm's performance and market performance. For this reason the qualifier "Sen" was used. Some internal search engines return partial words too. So "Sen" does not necessarily return Amartya Sen, but also words such as "sensible", which is not very sensible.

Different journals focus on different themes, and different theoreticians receive prominent attention in different journals. From the data below, several correlated conclusions may be drawn, in general terms, and then also for specific journals.

For example, although Gender & Development might be concerned with development, apart from Sen and Escobar, the total absence of any of the more technologically minded authors, suggests that technology is not much considered. Compare this with Gender, Technology and Development, where all the theoreticians typically cited in development journals feature - except, strangely Amartya Sen (but that might be due to poor search results). Although the main focus of both these two journals seems to be gender and development issues one ignores the role of technology.

Summary of Development Journals

Summary of Development Informatics (ICT4D) Journals

Africa Development/Afrique et Development

http://www.codesria.org/spip.php?rubrique39

Superclass: economics.

African Development Review

http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/10.1111/%28ISSN%291467-8268

Superclass: economics.
Themes: with themes that include trade, markets, and poverty.

African Journal of Information Systems

http://www.ajisonline.com/

Superclass: various
Themes: topics range from traditional leadership and electricity billing systems to rural ICT and educational technology.

Bangladesh Development Studies

http://www.bids.org.bd/BDS.php?FM=6&SM=75&TM=103&Page=BDS

Superclass: economics
Themes such as planning, markets and trade.

Canadian Journal of Development Studies

http://www.tandfonline.com/loi/rcjd20#.U_M_zaib2Hk

Superclass: economics
Themes predominantly about economics, but also including topics such as social entrepreneurship, industry, and technology transfer.

Community Development Journal

http://cdj.oxfordjournals.org/

Superclass: economics.
Themes: policy, planning and action.

Developing Economies

http://www.wiley.com/bw/journal.asp?ref=0012-1533&site=1

Superclass: economics.
Themes: workplace, training, skills, productivity, employment, etc.

Development

http://www.palgrave-journals.com/development/index.html

Superclass: economics.
Themes: Various themes, ranging from social, sustainability (34), economics (36), politics. Articles that included discussion of technology cover themes such as gender, sustainability, agriculture, etc.

Development and Change

http://www.wiley.com/bw/journal.asp?ref=0012-155X

Superclass: various
Themes: economics, labour, knowledge, capabilities, rights, environment, etc.

Development and Society

http://www.questia.com/library/p438741/development-and-society

Superclass: Social
Themes: social science, sociology

Development Bulletin

https://crawford.anu.edu.au/rmap/devnet/dev-bulletin.php

Superclass: various
Themes: participatory development, gender, disability, economics, drugs, soci-economics, politics, etc.

This journals has no internal search function, so author searches could not be done. Themes were determined by consulting Abstracts.

Development in Practice

http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals/CDIP

Superclass: socio-economic
Themes: economic and social change, poverty, gender, empowerment, social aspects, etc.

Development Policy Review

http://www.wiley.com/bw/journal.asp?ref=0950-6764

Superclass: various
Themes: industry, economics, trade, policy, indigenous knowledge, agriculture, etc.

Development Southern Africa

http://www.tandfonline.com/toc/cdsa20/current#.U_NCO6ib2Hk
http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals/titles/0376835X.asp

Superclass: various
Themes: wide range of themes.

Economic Development and Cultural Change

http://www.journals.uchicago.edu/toc/edcc/current

Superclass: socio-economics
Themes: social aspects

Electronic Journal of Information Systems in Developing Countries

http://www.ejisdc.org/ojs2/index.php/ejisdc

Superclass: various
Themes: various, including project development, trade, Economics , governance, regulations, education, e-commerce, health, gender, SME's, agriculture, etc.

Entrepreneurship and Regional Development

http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals/titles/08985626.asp

Superclass: economics
Themes: Economics, socio-economics, policies, governance, divide, enterprise, skills, entrepreneurship, etc.

European Journal of Development Research

http://www.eadi.org/index.php?id=293

Superclass: various
Themes: well-being, gender, politics, governance, employment, economics, social and anthropological perspectives.

Forum for Development Studies

http://www.tandfonline.com/toc/sfds20/current#.U_Xzk6ib07A

Superclass: various
Themes: economics, politics, trade, industry, sustainability, environment, etc.

Gender & Development

http://www.genderanddevelopment.org/

Superclass: socio-political
Themes: gender, empowerment, power, conflict and violence, etc.

Gender, Technology and Development

http://www.uk.sagepub.com/journals/Journal200816

Superclass: socio-political
Themes: gender policies, livelihoods, politics, social issues, etc.

IDS Bulletin: Institute of Development Studies Information, Communication & Society

https://www.ids.ac.uk/publications/ids-series-titles/ids-bulletin

Superclass: economics
Themes: classic development studies themes

Information, Communication & Society

http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals/titles/1369118x.asp

Superclass: socio-economics
Themes: inclusion, social media, social issues, e-governance, politics, various

Information Development

http://idv.sagepub.com/

Superclass: various
Themes: library, activism, organizations management, infrastructure, outsourcing, social networks, health, etc.

Information Technologies and International Development

http://itidjournal.org/itid

Superclass: various
Themes: education, sociology, politics, ethics, anthropology, applications, agriculture, etc.

Information Technologies in Developing Countries

http://www.iimahd.ernet.in/egov/ifip/wg.htm

No internal search function.

Themes: Socio-economics, e-governance, finances, education, etc.

International Development Planning Review

http://liverpool.metapress.com/content/121627/

Superclass: various
Themes: activism, economics, general development, agriculture, governance, housing, etc.

International Journal of Development Issues

http://www.emeraldinsight.com/loi/ijdi

Superclass: various
Themes: general development, human development, economics, sociology, computer literacy, tourist development

International Journal of Education and Development using Information and Communication Technology

http://ijedict.dec.uwi.edu/

Superclass: social (education)
Themes: education and development

International Journal of Information Communication Technologies and Human Development

http://www.igi-global.com/journal/international-journal-information-communication-technologies/1101

The return pages do not indicate how many results are returned.

Themes: Socio-politicial issues, culture, politics, divides, rights, modernization theory, many more.

International Journal of Innovation and Regional Development

http://www.inderscience.com/browse/index.php?journalID=234

No internal search engine. Themes: economics, SME's, business intelligence, innovation, living labs, tec.

International Journal of Innovation and Sustainable Development
and
International Journal of Sustainable Development
and
International Journal of Technological Learning, Innovation and Development

http://www.inderscience.com/browse/index.php?journalID=33
http://www.inderscience.com/browse/index.php?journalCODE=ijsd
http://www.inderscience.com/browse/index.php?journalCODE=ijtlid

The journals of this publisher do not have separate search functions, and give combined results.

Superclass: economics
Themes: economics, sustainable management, trade, environment, SME's, manufacturing, etc.

International Journal on Advances in ICT for Emerging Regions

http://www.icter.org/journal/index.php/ICTer

Superclass: various
Themes: education, diffusion, cloud computing, neural networks, e-comerce, wireless, Asian languages, and many more.

International Journal of Technology Management

http://www.inderscience.com/browse/index.php?journalCODE=ijtm

No internal search engine.

Superclass: economics
Themes: Management, firms, institutions, R&D, SME's, etc.

Journal of African Development

http://afea.info/journal-of-african-development.html

This journal has no internal search engine.

Superclass: economics
Themes: financial and economic development, international business in Africa, including accounting, finance, marketing, management, real estate, social, political, and technological problems related to African finance and development.

Journal of Community Informatics

http://www.ci-journal.net/

Superclass: social
Themes: wide variety of themes, often from sociological perspective.

Journal of Developing Areas

http://muse.jhu.edu/journals/jda/

Superclass: politico-economics
Themes: economics, politics, urban issues.

Journal of Development Economies

http://www.journals.elsevier.com/journal-of-development-economics/

Superclass: economics
Themes: economics, policy, infrastructure, etc.

Journal of Development Studies

http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals/titles/00220388.asp

Superclass: economics
Themes: economics, infrastructure, politics, labour, trade, etc.

Journal of Information Technology for Development

http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/journal/109863476/home/
http://www.tandfonline.com/toc/titd20/current#.U_S8eKib2Hk

Superclass: various
Themes: sociology, e-commerce, politics, policy

Journal of International Development

http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/10.1002/%28ISSN%291099-1328

Superclass: economics
Themes: economics, agriculture, skills, poverty, education, etc.

Journal of South Asian Development

http://www.sagepub.com/journals/Journal201767

Superclass: various
Themes: politics, international relations, sociology, anthropology, economics, environment, geography, history, etc.

Oxford Development Studies

http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals/titles/13600818.asp

Superclass: various
Themes: policy, economics, history, politics, anthropology, sociology, etc.

Progress in Development Studies

http://pdj.sagepub.com/

Superclass: socio-economics; political
Themes: economics, environment, politics, gender, etc.

Public Administration and Development

http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/10.1002/%28ISSN%291099-162X

Superclass: politics
Themes: politics, administration, planning, etc.

Review of Development Economics

http://www.wiley.com/bw/journal.asp?ref=1363-6669

Superclass: economics

Studies in Comparative International Development

http://link.springer.com/journal/12116

Superclass: economics
Themes: economy, politics, infrastructure, rights, industrialization, etc.

Sustainable Development

http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/journal/5346/home

Superclass: various
Themes: economics, sociology, environment, sustainable development.

Telematics and Informatics

http://www.journals.elsevier.com/telematics-and-informatics/

Superclass: various
Themes: social, economic, political and cultural impacts

Third World Quarterly

http://www.tandfonline.com/toc/ctwq20/current#.U_XzCKib07A

Superclass: socio-political
Themes: politics, corruption, sociology, governance, etc.

World Development

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/journal/0305750X

Superclass: various
Themes: human condition, poverty, unemployment, malnutrition, disease, lack of shelter, environmental degradation, inadequate scientific and technological resources, trade and payments imbalances, international debt, gender and ethnic discrimination, militarism and civil conflict, and lack of popular participation in economic and political life.

World Review of Entrepreneurship Management and Sustainable Development

http://www.inderscience.com/browse/index.php?journalCODE=wremsd