“Digital equity refers to the state where every person and community has the necessary information technology resources to participate in society, democracy, and the economy fully.” – Internet Society Foundation
The Digital Equity Action Research (DEAR) Laboratory is led by Dr. Colin Rhinesmith, Associate Professor in the School of Information Sciences. The DEAR Lab engages in community-engaged and participatory research to advance digital equity in Illinois and worldwide. We partner with community-based organizations, government agencies, philanthropic organizations, and other entities to advance mutually-beneficial research initiatives that support those most impacted by digital inequities.
We embrace an equity-centered approach to our research and partnerships. As a core value of librarianship, the American Library Association recognizes that a focus on equity helps “to dismantle barriers and create information spaces that are accessible, welcoming, and beneficial for all.” This work includes recognizing and addressing systemic inequalities to assist everyone in benefiting from a library’s offerings and services.
In our applied research projects this means that we investigate the digital equity needs, barriers, and opportunities for everyone including those most impacted by digital inequalities. These groups include vulnerable populations, such as older adults, veterans, individuals in rural communities, low-income individuals and families, individuals who are members of a racial or ethnic minority group, incarcerated populations, people with disabilities, LGBTQ+ communities, individuals with a language barrier, and individuals at the intersection of multiple social identities.
Our goal is to produce actionable research to help ensure that everyone has access to the social support and technological capacity needed to advance self-determination and create healthy communities.
Research Problem
Our work seeks to address the following digital equity barriers as societal challenges.
- Individuals and organizations working to advance digital equity need access to data to understand the needs, barriers, and opportunities facing communities impacted by digital inequities.
- These data must be informed by those most impacted by digital inequalities, and the groups and organizations who support them, in order to address the social and technical inequities that exist in our communities.
- As long as technology evolves there will always be a need for high-quality, impactful, and mutually-beneficial research, grounded in people’s everyday experiences, to support those most impacted by digital inequalities.
Research Strategy
Addressing these persistent challenges calls for coordinated efforts among multiple stakeholders to advance digital equity, including communities, practitioners, researchers, and policymakers.
The DEAR Lab engages in the following three-part strategy to address the problems stated above:
- Produce high-quality, impactful research – our applied research approach seeks to contribute new insights to advance digital equity, which is a multidisciplinary field including library and information science, communication studies, political science, public policy studies, social work, education, public health, and other related areas.
- Advance equity in digital equity practice – we work to ensure that our research can be useful to community-based organizations working to improve the lives of those most impacted by social and technological inequities.
- Inform effective public policy – our research seeks to support local, state, and federal policymaking and evaluation in efforts to advance digital equity.
Principles
The following four principles guide our work at the DEAR Lab to advance digital equity and social justice.
- Asset based – Our work focuses on the strengths, rather than the deficits, within communities as defined by community members themselves, including those of which we are a part. This approach guides how we listen, examine, and think about whose knowledge matters and why in our research and practice.
- Power aware – We examine the power dynamics and structural inequalities that impact people’s everyday experiences with technology, including how these experiences are shaped in community settings. We work to shift power through our research and practice with those whom we work, as well as within ourselves and our own communities.
- Respect focused – Mutual benefit, care, and respect are essential to our work. Intersectional care ethics challenges us to think more deeply about who gives and who receives care in community spaces, including public libraries and technology centers. This focus helps to surface invisible labor and address structural inequalities within communities, organizations, and institutions.
- Equity centered – We seek to generate new knowledge in support of populations most impacted by digital inequities. The goal of our research and practice is to help create more healthy, vibrant communities while working to address the root causes of the digital divide.