CALL FOR PAPERS: Digital Divide to Digital Literacy, Equity and Inclusion
Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences (HICSS)
January 6-9, 2026
Hyatt Regency Maui
The ever-changing landscape of information and communication technologies (ICTs) and their increasing importance in life are widely recognized as integral to academic, economic, and civic advancement in society. However, the digital divide in ICT usage persists. The digital divide refers to the gap between those who have access to ICTs and those who do not. In recent years, while the first-level digital divide (physical access to ICTs) has been decreasing worldwide, the second-level digital divide (digital skills to use ICTs) and third-level digital divide (outcomes of ICT use) remain prevalent and require a more nuanced examination by researchers.
The digital divide has long been a topic of discussion in both scholarship and policy. A tradition of monotopical measurement and access-oriented thinking has shaped conversations around the digital divide since the 1990s. While access-oriented discussions—such as broadband accessibility—remain necessary, it is increasingly evident across diverse fields that meaningful participation in a digital society requires not just access but also digital literacy.
Digital literacy encompasses both the cognitive and technical abilities needed to use digital devices and to access, navigate, and utilize information from various online sources. Being able to apply digital literacy skills to achieve a desired outcome marks the final stage and the ultimate goal of advancing digital equity. While advances have been made in reducing the second- and third-level digital divides, disparities in digital competence persist among aging individuals, people with disabilities, racial/ethnic minorities, rural residents, veterans, and other marginalized populations. These divides have significant social, economic, and political implications and further deepen the potential inequality and exclusion of these populations.
Several critical areas demand a deeper investigation to enhance our understanding of digital technologies in promoting digital literacy, equity and inclusion. A key avenue for further exploration is how digital platforms, mobile applications, and online networks can serve as tools for social intermediation, effectively connecting marginalized populations with essential resources such as education, healthcare, and employment. Further research is equally necessary to explore how ICT can facilitate greater social inclusion. Addressing barriers such as affordability, accessibility, and digital literacy is essential in leveraging technology to level the playing field and ensure full societal participation. Moreover, the potential for digital technologies to enhance social cohesion and foster mutual understanding in polarized societies also warrants deeper investigation.
This mini track will explore the crucial role of digital literacy to empower and transform marginalized communities that face various challenges, including crises, poverty, discrimination, immigration struggles, illness, climate change, and other societal, technological, and political shifts. It will also examine the opportunities emerging from changes in the landscape of work, education, and social interaction, and how these changes impact the attainment of digital equity.
We seek contributions that discuss how digital literacy can drive meaningful change and resilience among marginalized groups and propel progress toward achieving digital equity and inclusion. The goal is to share research insights while acknowledging that these challenges vary across different regions of the world and that no universal solutions exist.
We welcome submissions from scholars in diverse disciplines—including information science, computing, agricultural technology (agtech), financial technology (fintech), human-computer interaction, education, public health, urban studies, rural studies, and other related fields—who conduct digital equity research and engage with marginalized communities.
This call for papers invites original research papers, case studies, and review articles that investigate digital literacy and its impact on marginalized populations, as well as initiatives that address these vulnerabilities, moving towards digital equity and inclusion. Topics of interest include, but are not limited to:
- Expanding, redefining, and critically examining digital literacy and outcomes
- Digital literacy practices, competencies, and identities
- Emerging trends in digital equity
- The role of artificial intelligence (AI) in shaping digital equity
- Digital literacy and the future of work
- Digital trust, privacy, and cybersecurity
- Digital citizenship
- Digital infrastructures for advancing digital literacy
- Assessment frameworks for measuring digital literacy
- The evolving role of digital navigators in communities
- Digital challenges and empowerment through digital literacy
- Digital literacy and e-government services
- Digital literacy in disaster response contexts
- Digital literacy for socio-economic development
- Digital literacy for environmental resilience
- Digital literacy training and education for marginalized populations
- Digital inclusion policies and strategies: best practices and lessons learned
- AI Literacy and its role and connection to digital divide, literacy, equity, and inclusion
- Social and cultural factors in achieving digital equity and inclusion: attitudes and perceptions toward ICT
- Gender, race, caste, and ethnicity: intersectionality and the digital divide
- ICT adoption and use: barriers, opportunities, and challenges
- The role of gender, race, caste, and ethnicity in attaining digital equity
- ICT and health: the role of digital technologies in promoting health equity
- ICT and education: the impact of digital literacy on learning outcomes
- ICT and political participation: digital democracy and political engagement
- ICT and economic development: the role of digital literacy in reducing poverty and inequality
- ICT and social entrepreneurship: Role of microentrepreneurs and social entrepreneurs
- Digital social innovation and digital social intermediation: the role of social intermediaries in leveraging ICTs to address SDGs
- Unintended consequences as a result of ICT use or efforts to bridge the digital divide
Keywords: Digital Divide, Digital Literacy, Digital Skills, Digital Equity, Digital Inclusion, Social Justice, Marginalization, AI Literacy
Track: IT, Social Justice, and Marginalized Context
Mini-track: From Digital Divide to Digital Literacy, Equity and Inclusion
Mini-Track Co-Chairs:
Dr. Mega Subramaniam (Primary Contact), University of Maryland, College Park, mmsubram@umd.edu
Dr. Israr Qureshi, Australian National University, israr.qureshi@anu.edu.au
Dr. Shanton Chang, University of Melbourne, shanton.chang@unimelb.edu.au
Submission deadline: June 15, 2025 | 11:59 pm HSThttps://hicss.hawaii.edu/