Promoting Inclusion and Mitigating Digital Divide Impacts in International Development Research Teams: The PIRL Project

Abstract To conduct high-quality international development research, teams must fully include diverse researchers who contribute to knowledge creation. This paper highlights the often-overlooked digital divide within international research teams and examines how systematically creating a collaborative plan and process that addresses use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) within research teams can improve inclusion, particularly for researchers with disabilities, from different geographic locations and income levels. We used a cross-sectional, mixed methods, participatory research approach to collect data from members of the PIRL Project, who lived primarily in North America and Sub-Saharan Africa. Members included community and academic researchers, some with disabilities, low incomes, and differing educational and employment backgrounds, all with a shared objective to collaboratively improve research capabilities. Mitigation strategies to overcome digital divide inequities included collaborative ICT planning, use of smartphones, free apps, and training. The Capability Approach framed reflexive analysis of the results.