Humanitarian technology: a critical research agenda

Kristin Bergtora Sandvik Maria Gabrielsen Jumbert John Karlsrud Mareile Kaufmann

12/03/2014

Type
journal-article
Region
Sector
Crisis Response,Human Rights
Category
Citizen Engagement and Crowdsourcing, Data Analysis, Big Data
Methodology
Conceptual Framework
Objective
Effectiveness, Legitimacy

Abstract

New technology may offer many opportunities for humanitarian action, but it also presents a number of challenges. Currently, most of the critical analysis of these potential challenges takes place in the blogosphere, on tweets and on listservs. There is a strong need for more scholarly engagement on the subject. This article offers an agenda for critical inquiry into the emergent field of humanitarian technology as applied to a broadly defined context of crises, encompassing both natural disasters and conflict zones, by identifying what technology does to the humanitarian enterprise, and by reflecting on the key challenges that emerge.