Analysis of the Digital Divide in Asia-Islamic Countries: A TOPSIS Approach

Sayyid Ali Banihashemi and Zahra Rejaei

Journal of Asian Scientific Research, 2015, vol. 5, issue 4, 165-176

Abstract: The tremendous advances in information and communication technology and its concrete manifestations in the form of modern communication tools and techniques have created a deep transformation at different levels of social life and daily activities of people in society. Some of these differences are due to the recognition and utilization of new technologies that had not been available for all people in the past. The same difference in access and utilization of information and communication technologies makes the digital divide between generations. There are many definitions of the Digital Divide (DD), but the term refers to the gap between individuals, companies, regions and countries when accessing and using information and communication technology. The notion of the digital divide can be used to explain the socioeconomic differences arising from information and communication technonlogy (ICT) use, and social, demographic and economic characteristics of the users. The aim of this study is to analyze the digital divide in Muslim countries. After examining the digital divide and its impact parameters, the Islamic countries were ranked using the TOPSIS method. The results if this study showed that Malaysia is ranked first and Afghanistan is ranked last. On the other hand, the difference of similarity index shows that the digital divide in Asian- Islamic countries has very high from the highest rank to the lowest rank.

Keywords: Information and communication technology; Digital divide; Digital divide indicators; Digital divide measurement; Asia-Islamic countries; TOPSIS method. (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2015
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