{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,5,7]],"date-time":"2026-05-07T19:21:59Z","timestamp":1778181719444,"version":"3.51.4"},"reference-count":52,"publisher":"SAGE Publications","issue":"5","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2021,12,10]],"date-time":"2021-12-10T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1639094400000},"content-version":"unspecified","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["journals.sagepub.com"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Journal of Information Science"],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2023,10]]},"abstract":"<jats:p>This study investigates the issue of digital exclusion resulting from the digitisation of government and council services within the United Kingdom. An initial analysis of customer support log data from a council in a large UK city helped identify the most commonly queried services and modes of support. The main findings are based on qualitative analysis of 10 interviews, structured around the results from the log analysis, conducted with front-line staff members at the central library of the same council. The study identifies a range of issues associated with the provision of e-government services and the subsequent under-utilisation by the public, including poor design, issues with effective access and the level of digital literacy among end users. The study also proposes the concept of the \u2018digital carer\u2019, a friend or family member who is relied upon by users unable to interact with e-government services themselves. The findings of this study have implications for the way in which these services are designed and delivered and point to the need for further work that can contribute to the UK digital economy by facilitating better access to e-government services and reduce digital exclusion, especially for elderly and marginalised users.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.1177\/01655515211040664","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2021,12,10]],"date-time":"2021-12-10T06:28:11Z","timestamp":1639117691000},"page":"1153-1167","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1177\/sage-journals-update-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":22,"title":["Understanding the costs and challenges of the digital divide through UK council services"],"prefix":"10.1177","volume":"49","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-5504-2089","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Morgan","family":"Harvey","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Information School, The University of Sheffield, UK"}]},{"given":"David P","family":"Hastings","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Computer and Information Sciences, Northumbria University, UK"}]},{"given":"Gobinda","family":"Chowdhury","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Computer and Information Sciences, University of Strathclyde, UK"}]}],"member":"179","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2021,12,10]]},"reference":[{"key":"bibr1-01655515211040664","unstructured":"Office for National Statistics. Internet access \u2013 households and individuals, Great Britain: 2018, 2018, https:\/\/www.ons.gov.uk\/peoplepopulationandcommunity\/householdcharacteristics\/homeinternetandsocialmediausage\/bulletins\/internetaccesshouseholdsandindividuals\/2018"},{"key":"bibr2-01655515211040664","unstructured":"UK Government. Government digital strategy, 2012. https:\/\/assets.publishing.service.gov.uk\/government\/uploads\/system\/uploads\/attachment_data\/file\/296336\/Government_Digital_Stratetegy_-_November_2012.pdf"},{"key":"bibr3-01655515211040664","first-page":"97","volume-title":"Digital libraries and information access: research perspectives","author":"Liew CL.","year":"2012"},{"key":"bibr4-01655515211040664","unstructured":"Blackwood N. Digital skills crisis: second report of session 2016\u201317. House of Commons Science and Technology Committee Report, 2016, https:\/\/publications.parliament.uk\/pa\/cm201617\/cmselect\/cmsctech\/270\/270.pdf"},{"key":"bibr5-01655515211040664","unstructured":"Centre for Economics and Business Research (Cebr). The economic impact of digital inclusion in the UK, 2018, https:\/\/www.goodthingsfoundation.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/the_economic_impact_of_digital_inclusion_in_the_uk_final_submission_stc_0.pdf"},{"key":"bibr6-01655515211040664","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1197\/jamia.M1535"},{"key":"bibr7-01655515211040664","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1108\/ITP-04-2014-0083"},{"key":"bibr8-01655515211040664","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1177\/1461444814538648"},{"key":"bibr9-01655515211040664","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1177\/1461444818787348"},{"key":"bibr10-01655515211040664","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1080\/1369118X.2013.877952"},{"key":"bibr11-01655515211040664","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1177\/0165551511426246"},{"key":"bibr12-01655515211040664","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1111\/j.1365-2575.2005.00183.x"},{"key":"bibr13-01655515211040664","volume-title":"Digital Government: overcoming the systemic failure of transformation","author":"Waller P","year":"2016"},{"key":"bibr14-01655515211040664","unstructured":"Ofcom. Adult\u2019s media user and attitudes report 2019. Technical report, Ofcom, London, 30 May 2019."},{"key":"bibr15-01655515211040664","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1787\/9789264268821-en"},{"key":"bibr16-01655515211040664","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1080\/14649350220150107"},{"key":"bibr17-01655515211040664","unstructured":"Selwyn N, Facer K. Beyond the digital divide: rethinking digital inclusion for the 21st century, 2007, https:\/\/www.nfer.ac.uk\/publications\/futl55\/futl55.pdf"},{"key":"bibr18-01655515211040664","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1080\/0144929X.2011.572186"},{"key":"bibr19-01655515211040664","unstructured":"Yates S, Kirby J, Lockley E. Supporting digital engagement: final report to Sheffield City Council, 2014, http:\/\/shura.shu.ac.uk\/9547\/1\/Supporting-Digital-Engagement-Report1.pdf"},{"key":"bibr20-01655515211040664","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1177\/0269094217753090"},{"key":"bibr21-01655515211040664","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1177\/1461444804042519"},{"key":"bibr22-01655515211040664","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.poetic.2006.05.004"},{"key":"bibr23-01655515211040664","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1080\/0361526X.2015.1036195"},{"key":"bibr24-01655515211040664","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1111\/spol.12470"},{"key":"bibr25-01655515211040664","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1177\/009365001028004007"},{"key":"bibr26-01655515211040664","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.giq.2009.12.002"},{"key":"bibr27-01655515211040664","volume-title":"Handbook of new media: social shaping and social consequences of ICTs","author":"Rice RE","year":"2006"},{"key":"bibr28-01655515211040664","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1177\/1081180X00005001005"},{"key":"bibr29-01655515211040664","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1068\/a452"},{"key":"bibr30-01655515211040664","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1080\/10580530.2016.1155948"},{"key":"bibr31-01655515211040664","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1177\/1461444816634676"},{"key":"bibr32-01655515211040664","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1177\/1461444819888398"},{"key":"bibr33-01655515211040664","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1080\/10580530.2016.1220216"},{"key":"bibr34-01655515211040664","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.ijinfomgt.2019.05.016"},{"key":"bibr35-01655515211040664","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.ibusrev.2016.06.004"},{"key":"bibr36-01655515211040664","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1093\/iwc\/iws020"},{"key":"bibr37-01655515211040664","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1007\/978-3-319-56608-5_21"},{"key":"bibr38-01655515211040664","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1108\/IntR-12-2013-0259"},{"key":"bibr39-01655515211040664","volume-title":"Mixed methods research: a guide to the field","volume":"3","author":"Clark VLP","year":"2015"},{"key":"bibr40-01655515211040664","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.4135\/9781483381411"},{"key":"bibr41-01655515211040664","volume-title":"Qualitative research methods for the social sciences","author":"Lune H","year":"2017"},{"key":"bibr42-01655515211040664","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1191\/1478088706qp063oa"},{"key":"bibr43-01655515211040664","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.geoforum.2012.03.016"},{"key":"bibr44-01655515211040664","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1111\/hsc.12207"},{"key":"bibr45-01655515211040664","volume-title":"Annual report 2018","author":"The Society for Innovation, Technology and Modernisation (SOCITM)","year":"2018"},{"key":"bibr46-01655515211040664","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.tele.2017.07.007"},{"key":"bibr47-01655515211040664","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1177\/0165551504045855"},{"key":"bibr48-01655515211040664","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1007\/978-3-319-76941-7_18"},{"key":"bibr49-01655515211040664","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.worlddev.2009.11.019"},{"key":"bibr50-01655515211040664","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1108\/00220411311295351"},{"key":"bibr51-01655515211040664","volume-title":"Constructing grounded theory: a practical guide through qualitative analysis","author":"Charmaz K.","year":"2006"},{"key":"bibr52-01655515211040664","unstructured":"Office for National Statistics. Exploring the UK\u2019s digital divide. Great Britain, 2019. https:\/\/www.ons.gov.uk\/peoplepopulationandcommunity\/householdcharacteristics\/homeinternetandsocialmediausage\/articles\/exploringtheuksdigitaldivide\/2019-03-04"}],"container-title":["Journal of Information Science"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/journals.sagepub.com\/doi\/pdf\/10.1177\/01655515211040664","content-type":"application\/pdf","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"text-mining"},{"URL":"https:\/\/journals.sagepub.com\/doi\/full-xml\/10.1177\/01655515211040664","content-type":"application\/xml","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"text-mining"},{"URL":"https:\/\/journals.sagepub.com\/doi\/pdf\/10.1177\/01655515211040664","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,29]],"date-time":"2026-04-29T23:09:24Z","timestamp":1777504164000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/journals.sagepub.com\/doi\/10.1177\/01655515211040664"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2021,12,10]]},"references-count":52,"journal-issue":{"issue":"5","published-print":{"date-parts":[[2023,10]]}},"alternative-id":["10.1177\/01655515211040664"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1177\/01655515211040664","relation":{},"ISSN":["0165-5515","1741-6485"],"issn-type":[{"value":"0165-5515","type":"print"},{"value":"1741-6485","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2021,12,10]]}}}