Digital Participation Research Articles

Digital citizen participation in policy conflict and concord: Evaluation of a web‐based planning tool for railroad infrastructure

AbstractInfrastructure siting has been shown to lead to high contestation across political systems. To counteract this, policymaking has introduced participatory instruments that were recently supplemented by web‐based tools. Drawing on theoretical perspectives on policy conflict, this paper investigates how different conflict intensities reflected in public discourses can shape citizens' perceptions on the potential and limitations of digital participation tools. To this end, we conducted a survey experiment with students who evaluated the potential functions of a web‐based tool considering criteria, such as transparency, efficiency, and inclusion of new expertise. Participants were randomly assigned fictitious project descriptions that used either conflict or concord words. The results show that while users see several positive influences of digital tools on increased transparency and inclusivity in participation processes, this perception is negatively influenced by a supposedly high level of conflict. Furthermore, digital public participation in railroad planning is perceived as contributing to decreasing escalation and strengthening the democratic quality of policy processes. However, digital participation can only develop its strengths if there are accompanying measures and discourses to secure trust. In addition, the tool's potential seems to be higher in less escalated conflict situations and fully escalated situations than in asymmetrically escalated conflicts.

21st-Century Digital Literacy: Using Information Technology to Empower People

Abstract: A vital skill set for people to survive and prosper in an increasingly digital environment, digital literacy has arisen in the quickly changing 21st century. This abstract examines the value of digital literacy by looking at information technology (IT) and how it has affected modern society. It explores the complexity of digital literacy, including not just the technical know-how to utilize digital tools and technology but also the social, ethical, and intellectual aspects that are essential for productive digital participation. The elements of digital literacy, such as media literacy, information literacy, communication skills, critical thinking, and problem-solving abilities, are examined in this abstract, which draws on theoretical frameworks and actual studies. In addition to giving people access to a wealth of materials, communication channels, and chances for learning and cooperation, it also examines how information technology might be used as a facilitator to improve digital literacy. This abstract also discusses the difficulties and obstacles that hinder the adoption of digital literacy, including the digital gap, unequal access to technology, and concerns of digital inequality. It highlights how crucial it is for everyone to have equal access to digital resources and how important it is for governments, schools, and community groups to work together to promote digital inclusion and close the digital gap. Furthermore, the revolutionary power of digital literacy is highlighted in this abstract across a number of fields, such as political participation, job placement, schooling, and medical services. In order to promote lifelong learning and empowerment, it addresses cutting-edge strategies and best practices for incorporating digital literacy into seminars and workshops, community initiatives, and school curriculum. As a conclusion, this abstract emphasizes how critical digital literacy is in the twenty-first century and how it shapes people's ability to prosper in a society that is becoming more technologically advanced and linked. The statement highlights the need of coordinating endeavors to advance digital literacy programs and provide fair access to digital assets, ultimately enabling people to engage completely in the digital community.

The Impact of Digital Financial Inclusion on Household Commercial Insurance for Sustainable Governance Mechanisms under Regional Group Differences

This study explores the nexus between digital financial inclusion and household participation in commercial insurance, utilizing data from the Peking University Digital Financial Inclusion Index and the 2018 CFPS database. Using Probit and Logit models, our research uncovers significant regional and risk -preference variations, emphasizing the influence of governance mechanisms. The study underscores the pivotal role of digital participation in a sustainable governance mechanism in shaping financial behavior, as well as the importance of advocating for regulatory interventions, enhanced financial literacy, and infrastructure development to foster equitable insurance access. Moreover, positive determinants, such as education level and social insurance participation, are identified, while discretionary spending emerges as a barrier. This study advocates for expedited digital financial inclusion initiatives to increase financial literacy with strengthened regulatory oversight and governance mechanisms which would ensure sustainable regional development and insurance market resilience.

Kommunale e-Partizipationssysteme. Anforderungen aus der Perspektive der Anbieter sowie Nutzerinnen und Nutzer

Over the past two decades, e‑participation has become increasingly relevant as a result of digitization and the evolution of information and communication technologies. Yet the perspectives of providers and users with regard to the requirements on an e‑participation system are not sufficiently considered jointly. This paper investigates the requirements and challenges of users and providers. The study is based on a mixed methods approach with an online survey of those responsible for e‑participation processes in various administrative and planning areas as well as semi-structured expert interviews. In addition, we conducted proband tests to investigate the usability of digital citizen participation tools. The results show that accessibility, retrievability, effectiveness, interaction in the digital arena, security, technical specifications, resources, media literacy and the use of participation as a basis for profound decision-making are key requirements for e‑participation systems. These demands requirements are interrelated and influence the quality and effectiveness of participation processes. To meet these requirements, we propose an e‑participation ecosystem that integrates the different dimensions of digital participation and takes into account the interaction between actors, demands and contextual conditions.

Assessing the Rise of Dedicated Digital Engagement Platforms for Local Planning

Digitally mediated participation in planning processes has grown significantly. In an emergent digital turn for participatory planning scholarship, there is a growing body of research attempting to trace this growth and grapple with its implications. This paper explores how planning scholars and practitioners can deepen their critical stance toward digital modes of participatory planning. In Canada, this approach becomes especially important given the recent and widespread adoption of a specific digital platform type used to support participatory decision-making at the municipal level. Across the country, many towns and cities have embraced what I call Dedicated Digital Engagement Platforms (DDEPs). Despite their growing influence, these platforms for community involvement have not been previously quantified at a nation-wide level, nor thoroughly examined in planning scholarship. New evidence presented here defines DDEPs and documents the extent of their use by local and regional municipalities across Canada. In light of the growing prominence of these platforms, this article then provides the foundation for a more critical digital participation research agenda that draws on important debates in wider planning theory regarding democratic decision-making, the commercialization of deliberative democracy, and the platformization of public participation.

Exploring the Digital Cognitive Landscape: Theoretical Underpinnings of Internet Use in Children and Teenagers

In the context of the new digital era, children and teenagers have gained an access to the Internet which is becoming their everyday reality affecting their cognition. The research focuses on the theoretical underpinnings of Internet use. The areas of language center activation and the application of metacognitive skills, memory, analytical thinking, multitasking, social cue processing, and social competence are specifically emphasized. Whether to portray the factors driving the cognitive issues or to reveal the transformation potential of the online activities, the essay examines the changes affecting digital participation. The ability to grasp the intricate relationships between different age groups and context is only made possible through empirical studies which are the basis for technology evolution. The paper underlines the need for conducting further studies that aim to thoroughly investigate the multi-faceted role of the Internet in cognitive maturation. Keywords: Internet use, cognitive development, cognitive centers activation, metacognitive skills, memory and information retrieval, analytical thinking, and social competence in the digital realm.

Digital Literacy and Associated Factors in Older Adults Living in Urban South Korea: A Qualitative Study.

This study aimed to explore digital literacy among community-dwelling older adults in urban South Korea. A semistructured interview guide was developed using the Digital Competence ( 2.0 framework, which emphasizes the competencies for full digital participation in five categories: information and data literacy, communication and collaboration, content creation, safety, and problem-solving. The data were analyzed using combined inductive and deductive content analysis. Inductive analysis identified three main categories: perceived ability to use digital technology, responses to digital technology, and contextual factors. In the results of deductive analysis, participants reported varying abilities in using digital technologies for information and data literacy, communication or collaboration, and problem-solving. However, their abilities were limited in handling the safety or security of digital technology and lacked in creating digital content. Responses to digital technology contain subcategories of perception (positive or negative) and behavior (trying or avoidance). Regarding contextual factors, aging-related physical and cognitive changes were identified as barriers to digital literacy. The influence of families or peers was viewed as both a facilitator and a barrier. Our participants recognized the importance of using digital devices to keep up with the trend of digitalization, but their digital literacy was mostly limited to relatively simple levels.

A Study on the Impact of Social Media Platforms and Financial Advertisements on Youth and Their Lifestyle in Mumbai

An extensive research endeavour spanning an entire year investigates the complex interplay among financial advertisements, social media platforms, and the lifestyles of the youth residing in Mumbai. Commencing with the formation of a riding school, the research investigates a range of operational facets, including financial resources, equine grooming operations, and strategic partnerships with Mahalaxmi Racecourse. By employing SPSS software for comprehensive statistical analyses, this study reveals significant findings regarding the impact of social media on young individuals' body image, lifestyle preferences, and financial decision-making. Fundamentally, the results demonstrate a noteworthy positive association between the utilization of visual social media platforms and apprehensions regarding body image, thereby emphasizing the psychological ramifications of online exposure. Furthermore, the study demonstrates a significant correlation between heightened social media utilization and a deterioration in both physical and mental health, underscoring the importance of developing a more nuanced comprehension of digital participation. Regression analyses illuminate the influential effect that financial advertisements have on the investment propensity and consumer decisions of young individuals. The research additionally underscores the significant impact that social media has on the way of life of the youth in Mumbai, acknowledging both favourable and unfavourable aspects. It is worth noting that age and educational background are not considered substantial factors in determining social media influence. This emphasizes the need to acknowledge and account for individual variations in digital engagement. Moving forward, it is suggested that further investigation be conducted into particular categories of content found on social media platforms that have a substantial influence on body image concerns and lifestyle choices. It is recommended to conduct long-term analyses of the relationship between social media usage and well-being in order to gain a more comprehensive understanding of causality and durable effects. Furthermore, the study promotes the investigation of cultural subtleties that impact social media, the ethical implications of financial advertising, and the influence of peer relationships on social media on the decisions and behaviours of young people. In summary, this study reveals a complex and multifaceted account of the dynamic relationship among financial advertisements, social media, and the way of life of young individuals residing in Mumbai. Academics, policymakers, and practitioners will benefit from the findings, which urge a comprehensive comprehension of the digital influence on the younger generation. The study not only investigates immediate conjectures but also establishes a groundwork for subsequent inquiries into the continuously developing domain of the influence of social media on the conduct and welfare of young individuals.

Analysis of Factors Influencing the Level of E-Commerce Utilization and Digital Social Participation According to the Changes in the Digital Trade Environment: Focusing on the Low-Income Class in Korea

Purpose - As the intact environment spread with the emergent of COVID-19, the use of mobile, Internet, and O2O(Online to Offline) services increased, and since it is expected that the digital transformation will be accelerated as a result, this study intended to provide policy implications by identifying factors that can increase the level of e-commerce use and digital participation in society under the consideration of that the attitude toward digital technology, digital-related capabilities, and the intention of digital transformation of the low-income group as vulnerable classes of the Korean people are significantly lower than that of the general public. Design/Methodology - A survey was carried out by Kantar Public of 2,200 national basic livelihood act recipients from the low-income group of the whole Korean people (as of August 2022) under the supervision of the Ministry of Science and ICT to secure the response data from September 1 to December 31, 2022, and multiple regression analysis using SPSS as well as mediation effect analysis using Process Macro were conducted. Findings - First, it was found that the attitude toward digital technology, digital capabilities, and the intention of digital transformation had a significant effect on the level of e-commerce use. Second, it was found that the attitude toward digital technology did not have a significant effect on digital participation in society. Third, when the attitude toward digital technology, digital capabilities, and the intention of digital transformation affect the level of e-commerce use, and when these also affect digital participation in society, it was found that digital social capital has a mediating effect. Originality/value - This study has academic implications in that those concepts of the capability approach and the theory of planned behavior have been expanded to include digital characteristics, the level of e-commerce use levels, and digital participation in society. In addition, it contributed to broadening and deepening the range of understanding so that the level of e-commerce use and digital participation in society can increase through the verification of the mediating effect of digital participation in society.

ICT-based environmental participation in China: Same, same but digital?

Information and communication technologies (ICTs) have been credited with the potential to alter the dynamics of environmental governance by empowering citizens, enhancing accountability and improving government efficiency. However, in non-democratic contexts the link between ICTs and public participation is far from clear. Taking the case of China, this study investigates urban Chinese citizens’ use of digital technologies for environmental participation and the factors explaining (non)engagement. Drawing on an online survey with 2912 participants in 2021, we find surprisingly high levels of participation that is not hampered by regime-related factors such as trust in governmental institutions or concerns about the risks of taking action online. This shows that digital technologies have significant participatory potential also under restrictive conditions. However, our findings also show several major limitations of ICTs. Participation in our study is driven by citizens who are digitally skilled, environmentally concerned and also active in the offline sphere. This points, first, to a digital participation opportunity gap that could exclude the less digitally skilled and tech-savvy. Second, this supports the “reinforcement hypothesis” that ICTs are used by the already active and do not suffice to draw new social groups into the policy process. Third, in our study digital environmental participation is limited by citizens’ attribution of responsibility to the government, an unintended consequence of China’s “environmental authoritarianism” that curtails ICTs from unfolding their full potential. Together, our findings contribute to the debate on digital authoritarianism and the opportunities and limitations of ICTs for environmental participation in non-democratic contexts.

The communication effect of promotion strategies, altruism, and egoism in the context of omnichannel cause‐related marketing: An experimental study

AbstractThis study investigates the effect of promotion strategies, altruism, and egoism on consumers' digital participation, attitudinal loyalty, and behavioral loyalty within the context of omnichannel cause‐related marketing. A scenario simulation method with a 3 × 2 × 2 factorial design is used to investigate the impact of the three promotion strategy types (celebrity endorsement, expert endorsement, and co‐branding), two altruism types (social donation and economic donation), and two egoism types (social incentives and economic incentives). The moderating effect of brand identification on the influence of strategies, altruism, and egoism on consumer digital participation, attitudinal loyalty, and behavioral loyalty is also tested.

Digitale und mehrkanalige Partizipation in Deutschland: Ein umfassender Überblick über Strukturen, Methoden und Determinanten

Citizen participation has played an increasingly relevant role in spatial planning and development aiming to shape sustainable and innovative processes since the 1970s. Nevertheless, analogue participation is associated with various problems, such as social selectivity and a loss of civic trust in administration and politics. Against this background, high expectations lie in the development of digital participation formats, which have significantly changed the participation landscape. Despite the rapid development of digital participation based on new technologies and external factors such as the Covid-19 pandemic, there is still a lack of comprehensive empirical studies on spatial patterns and determinants. Therefore, the aim of the paper is to give an overview of the patterns, methods and determinants of digital and multi-channel participation in Germany. We comprehensively investigated digital and multi-channel participation processes on the websites of German cities and districts – about 4,000 approaches in total. The results show spatial disparities in digital participation processes. While the availability of broadband internet and public debt do not significantly influence the digital participation density in districts and cities, low election turnouts go along with high densities. This suggests that the administrations are responding to political disinterest with digital participation. The results also indicate that digital participation can be less socially selective, as high shares of population without German citizenship, high migration rates and low employment rates have significant positive effects on digital participation.

Worldwide Survey on Digital Assistive Technology (DAT) Provision.

Occupational therapists have long been involved in assistive technology (AT) provision worldwide. AT is recognized by the World Health Organization (WHO) to enhance functioning, independence, and autonomy and ultimately promote well-being for people living with disabilities. With the digitalisation of societies, the everyday lives and occupations of individuals are changing, becoming more reliant on digital solutions. The development of digital assistive technology (DAT) also offers opportunities for people with disabilities to access, interact, and pilot the digital world. However, we do not know how occupational therapists are involved in DAT provision worldwide. A survey was conducted in the global occupational therapist's community in June 2022 to describe DAT provision and the factors influencing it. Occupational therapy practitioners were included (n = 660) in the analysis. In DAT provision, occupational therapists mostly provide advice to people, assess their needs, provide instruction or training, prescribe DAT, and fit DAT to people and their environment. The clients served through DAT provision are most frequently people with neurological impairments, chronic illnesses, sensory impairments, and older people. The reasons for providing DAT focus on education, work, school, and leisure. It is expected that DAT provision will enhance independence, self-esteem, occupational participation, and social relationships. Issues faced by occupational therapists when providing DAT are costs of product and funding schemes, sufficient knowledge, and access to knowledge sources. Survey respondents are mostly from Western countries with access to the Internet and the digital world, including having digital literacy, highlighting the digital divide that exists between world regions and countries, but also within countries worldwide. There is a need to continue research to better understand the issues related to digitalisation and the digital participation of people living with disabilities.

Effect of digital skills on citizens’ digital participation: mediating effects of political interest, social issues concern and national identity

PurposeIn the context of the digital age, this study aims to investigate the impact of citizens' digital participation on the scientific and democratic decision-making processes of the government. Specifically, the authors focus on the factors influencing citizens' digital participation, with a particular emphasis on their digital skills.Design/methodology/approachExploring the influence of citizens' digital skills on their digital participation is of great practical significance for eliminating the digital divide and for promoting a life characterized by enriched digital interactions with the public. This study selected the social consciousness survey database of Chinese netizens in 2017, used ordered Probit and OLS models, and comprehensively used the instrumental variable method (IV), causal stepwise regression method and bootstrap method to empirically verify and construct a mechanism model of the influence of digital skills on citizens' digital participation.FindingsThe empirical findings indicate a noteworthy positive association between citizens' proficiency in digital skills and their active engagement in digital activities. This relationship is positively mediated by factors such as political interest and attention to social issues, underscoring their role in encouraging greater digital participation. Conversely, national identity exhibits a counteractive influence on this mechanism, potentially discouraging digital engagement. Notably, the impact of digital skill mastery on digital participation is more pronounced among non-elderly individuals and those residing in metropolitan areas, highlighting the significance of demographic characteristics in this context.Originality/valueThese research results can help the government and other organizations make better decisions and facilitate improvement of citizens' digital participation by promoting their mastery of digital skills.

CREATIVITY MANAGEMENT WITHIN THE AESTHETICAL SITUATION REGARDING THE IN-REAL OR DIGITAL FORM OF PARTICIPATION IN ARTS: ART RECEIVERS’ PERSPECTIVE

Because digitalisation of the aesthetical experience, a process speeded up by the not-yet-finished COVID-19 pandemic, should be considered in the context of growth or loss of artistry/creativity, this paper aims to assess the influence of the participation form in the aesthetical situation by receivers on the level of artistry/creativity potential loss. Assessment of the quality of participation by the receivers in each of five types of arts (musical arts, performing arts, literary arts, audio-visual arts, visual arts) was done using the same ten criteria for each type of art: satisfaction, pleasure, engagement, the possibility of experiencing catharsis, contact with the artwork itself, contact with the performer itself, comfort of participation, possibilities of shaping the aesthetical experience, own motivation to participate, easiness of participation. The literature review was run using NVivo Pro software. Data analysis (n = 221) was executed using IBM SPSS and Microsoft Excel. Answering the research hypotheses: H1) the digital form of participation in arts determines the level of quality of participation in the aesthetical situation by receivers; H2) the form of participation in art shapes the level of quality of participation in the aesthetical situation by receivers of each type of art differently: in musical arts, performing arts, literary arts and visual arts, in-real participation gives higher quality than digital participation; in audio-visual arts, in-real participation gives lower quality than digital participation. The research results may be helpful for: art creators wanting to choose the optimal way of distributing their artworks; art managers to better understand art receivers’ perspectives and their opinion about participation in arts in real or digitally; art receivers to compare their private opinion about the ways of participation in arts with the general opinion of art receivers.

Digital Participatory Model as Part of a Data-Driven Decision Support System for Urban Vibrancy

Digital participation relies on computational systems as the instruments for expert engagement, data-driven insight, and informed decision-making. This study aims to increase expert engagement with the Bayesian-based decision support model in evaluating urban vibrancy decisions. In this study, urban vibrancy parameters are defined using “economic, use, and image value” measures. This article focuses on the visual aspect of vibrancy, defined as the image value of place. The image value is evaluated through likability and likability features. The case study area is the Eminönü Central Business District in the Istanbul Historic Peninsula due to its distinctive urban dynamics derived from the duality of being a cultural and cosmopolitan city center. This research presents a method as a decision support system (DSS) model based on the Bayesian belief network (BBN) and spatial BBN for supporting urban vibrancy decisions. The spatial BBNs monitor spatial outcomes of variables’ dependencies that form through the BBN relationship network. Spatial BBN tools monitors the spatial impact of decisions for informed urban interventions. The results demonstrate that urban greening, pedestrianization, and human-scaled streetscapes should be prioritized to make streets more likable. The most significant intervention areas are Tahtakale for signboard regulation, Sultanahmet and Vefa for cultural landscape improvement, and Vefa and Mahmutpaşa for planning building enclosures. The participation is achieved by evaluating urban vibrancy with what-if scenarios using BBN. The developed DSS model addresses which parameters should be prioritized, and what are their spatial consequences. The use of spatial BBN tools presents certain limitations in terms of interoperability and user interaction. Overall, this research contributes to participatory urban planning by incorporating both conditional and spatial dependencies. This unique approach not only promotes a more holistic understanding of urban vibrancy but also contributes to the advancement of digital participation in urban planning decisions.

Digital Rights to the City: Local Practices and Negotiations of Urban Space on Decidim

The organization, management, and production of urban space through digital information and communication technologies have become a central means for governing urban life. To overcome a lack of citizen-centered practices in today’s smart cities, governments and municipalities institutionalize citizen-centered digital infrastructures such as Decidim, a digital infrastructure proposing non-corporate, decentralized, and collaborative forms of digital production to evoke participatory governance practices and ultimately social transformation (Barandiaran et al., 2018). Swiss city administrations have adapted the Decidim platform for participatory budgeting processes and city-wide participation platforms since 2019. This article explores the process of institutional adoption, focusing on how the use of Decidim impacts local practices and negotiations for governing urban space. The examination of the Decidim platform in the Swiss cities of Zurich and Lucerne will be framed by re-conceptualizing Lefebvre’s right to the city in the age of digital transformation. The findings show that for a successful introduction of the Decidim platform based on principles of the right to the city (a) local needs for a new digital democratic instrument need to be pre-existent, (b) government employees must implement a scope of action which allows organized civil society and grassroots initiatives to appropriate the infrastructure for their own purposes, and (c) local practices of hybrid communication and organizing must be aligned with the structure of the platform. Nevertheless, digital participation tools such as Decidim cannot solve entrenched inequalities such as the financialization of land, the issue of disadvantaged neighborhoods, or the absence of voting rights for certain communities. Therefore, city administrations need to integrate hybrid participation strategies which prioritise collective power over distributive power as well as tackle urban inequalities through political means.

THE CONDITIONAL GIFT – INTERPRETATIONS OF PUBLIC PARTICIPATION IN APPLYING FOR THE EUROPEAN CAPITAL OF CULTURE STATUS

European cities compete for the status of the European Capital of Culture (ECoC), as it is proven to enhance city visibility and the profile of cultural events in the city; it also allows addressing issues of strategic cultural development of the successful candidate. Importantly, the status comes with an explicit requirement to ensure sufficient public participation in developing the bid and implementing the cultural programme. Prior research demonstrates that meaningful participation is not easy to achieve; the research on that aspect is considered scarce. The article aims to analyse the interpretation of public participation, its challenges and shaping factors as seen by ECoC bid-producing teams. The main research question is “What did the bid development process uncover about the capacity of bid-producing teams to foster public participation in the Latvian cities – ECoC finalists?” The current paper examines the challenge of participation encountered in the process of developing the bid for the second round of ECoC 2027 by three applying cities in Latvia. The study was carried out between October 2022 and March 2023 using qualitative methodology. The theoretical starting point of the study is the four-part framework of factors influencing participation by Kaifeng Yang and Sanjay K. Pandey [Yang & Pandey 2011]. The study suggests that these factors are indeed useful in conducting an analysis of participation. In addition, the study supports the prior conclusions of scholarly literature pointing out that more nuanced language is needed to interpret participation and participants. The article pays special attention to the nuances of digital participation and the organisational characteristics of the public body in charge of participation in cultural planning.

Digital participation of brain tumour patients in the assessment and treatment of communication disorders.

Communication deficits have a severe impact on our social interactions and health-related quality of life. Subtle communication deficits are frequently overlooked or neglected in brain tumour patients, due to insufficient diagnostics. Digital tools may represent a valuable adjunct to the conventional assessment or therapy setting but might not be readily suitable for every patient. This article summarises results of three surveys on the readiness for telemedicine among (a) patients diagnosed with high-grade glioma, (b) matched controls, and (c) speech and language therapists. The respective surveys assessed the motivation for participation in telemedical assessments and supposed influencing factors, and the use potential of digital assessment and therapy technologies in daily routine, with a spotlight on brain tumour patients and the future prospects of respective telemedical interventions. Respondents included 56 high-grade glioma patients (age median: 59 years; 48% males), 73 propensity-score matched neurologically healthy controls who were instructed to imagine themselves with a severe disease, and 23 speech and language therapists (61% <35 years; all females). The vast majority of the interviewed high-grade glioma (HGG) patients was open to digitisation, felt well-equipped and sufficiently skilled. The factorial analysis showed that digital offers would be of particular interest for patients in reduced general health condition (p = 0.03) and those who live far from specialised treatment services (p = 0.03). The particular motivation of these subgroups seemed to outweigh the effects of age, equipment and internet skills, which were only significant in the control cohort. The therapists' survey demonstrated a broad consensus on the need for improving the therapy access of brain tumour patients (64%) and strengthening their respective digital participation (78%), although digitisation seems to have yet hardly entered the therapists' daily practise. In summary, the combined results of the surveys call for a joint effort to enhance the prerequisites for digital participation of patients with neurogenic communication disorders, particularly in the context of heavily burdened HGG patients with limited mobility.

Preface

This special issue of Tidskrift för ABM explores the transformative role of digital technologies in shaping the landscape of cultural heritage, knowledge access and information futures. It contains two research articles, a review, a note on and two dissertation summaries. Across these contributions, the issue covers a diverse range of topics relating to information futures; personal information privacy, preservation of deplatformed content, challenges and opportunities of AI, digital participation in cultural heritage, content moderation and fact checking.