Wonhyuk Cho and Seyeong Cha.
(2014)
A Study of Internationally-Comparable Indices of ICT Development: Scope, Measures, and Limitations.
Korea Journal of Public Administration 52(1).
177-218
This study aims at analyzing the characteristics of internationally-comparable indices that measure level of ICT development. The indices that were analyzed were the Digital Economy Rankings by the EIU, the Network Readiness Index by the WEF, the ICT Development Index by the ITU, and the E-Government Index by the UN. These indices were found to have different scopes, measures, weightings, and emphases, which result in different country rankings. Even though the ICT indices are useful in comparing performance of a country’s ICT development, the indices are also found to have limitations in several aspects: validity and reliability; consistency and distinctiveness of each index; lack of ICT governance measures; and availability of raw data. This study suggests the need for supplementing ICT development indices considering the limitations analyzed.