Adoption and Effective Use of Information Technologies in Indigenous Communities in Australia

This timely project is a study of the low engagement levels of Indigenous Australians with the internet, which links financial, educational, government and non-government services to Australian households. Both the 2001 and 2006 Censuses demonstrate that Indigenous Australians are 69% less likely to access the internet than the rest of the Australian population. Previous research confirms that income and education affects computer and internet use. This project seeks to identify characteristics of Indigenous communities that create barriers to internet usage. The research aims to explain the gap in adoption and to suggest areas in which government policy can assist Indigenous communities in removing barriers to internet engagement.