10 Latest Information Technology Research Topics

Description of the topic

In this technological era, several digital solutions such as AI, machine learning, etc. are deployed by organizations to assist employees in performing business tasks (DiRomualdo, El-Khoury, and Girimonte, 2018). With this, employees' key performance indicators can also be improved to the great extent by using technological solutions for their assigned tasks. Currently, many studies have been done demonstrating the technologies and their benefits for the employees but insufficient knowledge is available regarding the impact found on their performance based on their experience (Long, Pariyo, and Kallander, 2018). In this concern, the given study can mainly focus on studying the impact of digital technologies on increasing workforce performance by conducting interviews with employees regarding the use of technology and its impact on their working capabilities.

Research objectives

• To study different digital technologies used to perform business tasks and operations by employees.
• To explore the impact of digital technologies on increasing workforce performance.

Research questions

RQ: How can digital technologies impact the performance of employees by driving high employee engagement?

Research methodology

To conduct this research, the qualitative research methodology can be used following which semi-structured interviews can be conducted with employees to collect data based on their experience with IT-based solutions. For conducting interviews, a sample of 7 participants can be collected using a random sampling approach, which can be distributed through various social media platforms. The interested candidates can be contacted directly to conduct interviews and the responses collected from them can be analyzed using thematic analysis.

References

• DiRomualdo, A., El-Khoury, D. and Girimonte, F., 2018. HR in the digital age: how digital technology can change HR’s organization structure, processes and roles. Strategic HR Review.
• Long, L.A., Pariyo, G. and Kallander, K., 2018. Digital technologies for health workforce development in low-and middle-income countries: a scoping review. Global Health: Science and Practice, 6(Supplement 1), pp.S41-S48.
• Khin, S. and Ho, T.C., 2018. Digital technology, digital capability and organizational performance: A mediating role of digital innovation. International Journal of Innovation Science, 11(2), pp.177-195.

Description of the topic

Biometric systems are mainly used for automatically recognizing people based on their biological or behavioral characteristics (Arora, and Bhatia, 2022). These systems are used for strengthening security and improving convenience . Current studies done in the selected domain can define the importance and benefits of using biometric systems for security, but several challenges can be encountered by the end users with the use of biometric-based solutions for security (Bibi, Naz, and Rehman, 2020). To understand this, it can be better to collect the opinions of biometric users to understand the challenges they face and the opportunities they gain using these systems based on their experience. So, the given study can focus on reviewing the challenges and opportunities associated with the biometric-based security systems that can be found by the end users using these systems on a regular basis.

Research objectives

• To study types of biometric systems used for managing the security or privacy of individual or data.
• To investigate the challenges end-users can face while using biometric-based systems for security purposes.
• To explore the opportunities that biometric-based security systems can offer to users in terms of security and privacy.

Research questions

RQ1: What are the major areas where biometric-based systems can be deployed to maintain security and privacy?

RQ2: What are the possible challenges that users can encounter while using biometric-based security systems?

RQ3: What are the useful opportunities that organizations or users can gain by deploying biometric systems to enable access control to confidential data or systems?

Research methodology

To conduct this research, the quantitative research methodology can be used following which survey-based analysis can be conducted to collect the necessary data. For this research, primary data can be gathered through online surveys with the public as almost every person is using biometric systems for phone security, access to laptops and also to keep their documents safe. The random sampling approach can be used to collect a sample of 20 people for surveying by sharing it through email. The collected responses can be analyzed by performing statistical and descriptive analyses to obtain the research findings at the end of the study.

References

• Arora, S. and Bhatia, M.P.S., 2022. Challenges and opportunities in biometric security: A survey. Information Security Journal: A Global Perspective, 31(1), pp.28-48.
• Bibi, K., Naz, S. and Rehman, A., 2020. Biometric signature authentication using machine learning techniques: Current trends, challenges and opportunities. Multimedia Tools and Applications, 79(1-2), pp.289-340.
• Tas, R. and Tanriover, O.O., 2020. A systematic review of challenges and opportunities of blockchain for E-voting. Symmetry, 12(8), p.1328.
• Dargan, S. and Kumar, M., 2020. A comprehensive survey on biometric recognition systems based on physiological and behavioral modalities. Expert Systems with Applications, 143, p.113114.

Description of the topic

IoT (Internet of Things) has disrupted almost every industry where the agricultural industry is not an expansion (Boursianis, et al., 2022). The adoption of this technology offers several benefits such as precision agriculture, crop monitoring, livestock monitoring and irrigation management etc. As per the existing studies, it has been found that the use of IoT technology can play a significant role in improving monitoring in this industry, which can further lead to an increase in overall productivity (Thibaud, Chi, Zhou, and Piramuthu, 2018). So, the given study aims at conducting a comprehensive study to analyze the significance of deploying IoT for smart monitoring in the agricultural industry.

Research objectives

• To study the major applications of IoT technology in the agriculture industry.
• To explore the significance of deploying IoT for smart monitoring in the agricultural industry.
• To analyze the effectiveness of using IoT- based smart monitoring solutions for improving crop production.

Research questions

RQ1: What are the potential applications of IoT technology in the agriculture industry?

RQ2: How can IoT- based smart monitoring can help in improving overall crop production?

Research methodology

To conduct this research and obtain the findings, a qualitative study can be conducted following which review-based analysis can be performed to review current studies done in the chosen area. Several secondary sources can be studied such as research papers, journals, and several other published sources to gather secondary data and perform review-based analysis to obtain the end results.

References

• Boursianis, A.D., Papadopoulou, M.S., Diamantoulakis, P., Liopa-Tsakalidi, A., Barouchas, P., Salahas, G., Karagiannidis, G., Wan, S. and Goudos, S.K., 2022. Internet of things (IoT) and agricultural unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) in smart farming: a comprehensive review. Internet of Things, 18, p.100187.
• Thibaud, M., Chi, H., Zhou, W. and Piramuthu, S., 2018. Internet of Things (IoT) in high-risk Environment, Health and Safety (EHS) industries: A comprehensive review. Decision Support Systems, 108, pp.79-95.
• Ullo, S.L. and Sinha, G.R., 2020. Advances in smart environment monitoring systems using IoT and sensors. Sensors, 20(11), p.3113.

Description of the topic

In this era of industry 4.0, big data plays a major role in making effective decisions regarding organizations or businesses, which can be done through effective big data analytics (Priyono, Moin, and Putri, 2020). It can have several applications for different organizational structures but also raise some challenges to obtaining desired benefits (Khalil, 2022). In this concern, the given research study can be conducted to study the concept of big data analytics and study various challenges, prospects and applications of using this approach by analysts to improve decision-making.

Research objectives

• To explore the concept of big data analytics and its role in improving decision-making.
• To study applications and prospects of using big data analytics for organizations.
• To investigate the major challenges associated with big data analytics that organizations can face using this approach.

Research questions

RQ1: How can big data analytics play a major role in organizations in terms of improving business decisions?

RQ2: What are the major challenges organizations can encounter with the adoption of big data analytical techniques for business decisions?

Research methodology

The given research study can be conducted with the adoption of qualitative methodology, which can help in evaluating the research findings. The whole study can be conducted by collecting secondary data from various online repositories such as research gate, IEEE Xplore, Science Direct and Springer. Various secondary sources such as journals, research papers and other academic sources, can be reviewed critically to perform the qualitative analysis. Also, thematic analysis can be performed by creating different themes based on objectives to obtain the research findings at the end.

References

• Priyono, A., Moin, A. and Putri, V.N.A.O., 2020. Identifying digital transformation paths in the business model of SMEs during the COVID-19 pandemic. Journal of Open Innovation: Technology, Market, and Complexity, 6(4), p.104.
• Khalil, A., Abdelli, M.E.A. and Mogaji, E., 2022. Do Digital Technologies Influence the Relationship between the COVID-19 Crisis and SMEs’ Resilience in Developing Countries? Journal of Open Innovation: Technology, Market, and Complexity, 8(2), p.100.

Description of the topic

The given research topic is mainly concerned with the study of different privacy concerns of social media users to keep their data confidential in all aspects (Oliveira, Traujo, and Tam, 2020). It has been analyzed that social media usage is increasing day by day for entertainment, communication and several other purposes. On the other hand, it is also used by hackers to get access to the credentials of the users due to which users may have several privacy-related concerns related to social media exploitation (Bergstrom, 2015). In these concerns, this study can be done with the collection of primary data from social media users from surrounding to understand their opinions regarding their major privacy requirements so that effective strategies or solutions could be recommended to allow them to manage their confidentiality effectively.

Research objectives

• To investigate major privacy issues that people face while using social media platforms.
• To explore the major concerns of social media users regarding privacy on social media.
• To recommend effective strategies or techniques to social media users for maintaining their privacy and confidentiality.

Research questions

RQ1: What are the major privacy issues and challenges faced by individuals while using social media apps?

RQ2: What are the major concerns that can be considered by social media users to maintain their privacy and confidentiality?

Research methodology

This study can be performed by conducting quantitative analysis with the collection of primary data from social media users regarding the issues and challenges they face while using social media apps. For the collection of primary data, an online survey can be conducted by considering social media users as the targeted audience. The participants for conducting the survey can be selected from friends, colleagues and relatives for the collection of their responses and opinions regarding privacy breach concerns about social media usage. The responses collected through the survey can be critically analyzed to obtain the research findings and achieve the objectives successfully.

References

• Bergström, A., 2015. Online privacy concerns: A broad approach to understanding the concerns of different groups for different uses. Computers in Human Behavior, 53, pp.419-426.
• Oliveira, T., Araujo, B. and Tam, C., 2020. Why do people share their travel experiences on social media? Tourism Management, 78, p.104041.
• Dhir, A., Kaur, P., Chen, S. and Pallesen, S., 2019. Antecedents and consequences of social media fatigue. International Journal of Information Management, 48, pp.193-202.

Description of the topic

Artificial intelligence technology has been adopted in almost every sector to automate business tasks and improve operational efficiency (Secinaro, et al., 2021). It allows healthcare providers to understand the needs and patterns of patients’ health by conducting in-depth analysis (Lee, and Yoon, 2021). Also, it is expected to provide several benefits to the sector which will help in improving the healthcare KPIs of the industry. In this concern, the given study can focus on studying the future implications of artificial Intelligence technology in the healthcare sector through qualitative analysis.

Research objectives

• To study the applications of AI technology in the healthcare sector.
• To explore the importance and role of using AI technology in the healthcare sector in improving the service quality.
• To investigate the future implications of using AI in the healthcare sector.

Research questions

RQ1: What are the major areas in the healthcare sector where AI solutions have been implemented?

RQ2: To what extent, AI is found significant in terms of improving the quality of service in the healthcare sector?

RQ3: What are the possible future implications of using AI in the healthcare sector for better service?

Research methodology

To answer the above-defined research questions and achieve the objectives, a qualitative study can be conducted, which refers to the approach to conducting the research using non-numerical data based on the experience of experts or researchers in a particular domain. In this research, the secondary data can be gathered using several secondary sources such as research journals, research papers and other peer-reviewed articles to perform the review-based analysis. It can help in exploring the studies done by various practitioners in the selected domain to answer the defined research questions significantly.

References

• Secinaro, S., Calandra, D., Secinaro, A., Muthurangu, V. and Biancone, P., 2021. The role of artificial intelligence in healthcare: a structured literature review. BMC medical informatics and decision making, 21, pp.1-23.
• Lee, D. and Yoon, S.N., 2021. Application of artificial intelligence-based technologies in the healthcare industry: Opportunities and challenges. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18(1), p.271.

Description of the topic

In this technological era, every organization wants to adopt new technologies to improve business performance and operational efficiency (Jackson, Castelo, and Gray, 2020). Robots are considered a widely adopted technology by every sector to reduce the human workforce and assist workers in improving service quality. On the other hand, it is expected that the replacement of the human workforce with robots can also raise several challenges for employment in future along with the benefits in the offer (Welfare, Hallowell, Shah, and Riek, 2019). In this context, the given research study can be conducted to understand the impact of robots on replacing the human workforce by conducting an empirical investigation.

Research objectives

• To review the main areas where robots have taken the place of the human workforce.
• To study the importance and benefits of using robots for business performance and operational efficiency.
• To investigate the future implications of replacing the human workforce with robots.

Research questions

RQ1: What are the major reasons organizations focus on the adoption of robots in the replacement of the human workforce?

RQ2: What are the future implications expected to be found by replacing the human workforce with robots in different sectors?

Research methodology

This research study can be conducted using quantitative research methodology following which an online survey can be performed to gather primary data. For the collection of data, employees or workers belonging to different industries can be recruited through social media to collect their opinions regarding the impact of robots on their jobs, performance and other concerns. The collected responses from selected participants can be critically evaluated and visualizations can be created to obtain the research findings at the end.

References

• Jackson, J.C., Castelo, N. and Gray, K., 2020. Could a rising robot workforce make humans less prejudiced? American Psychologist, 75(7), p.969.
• Welfare, K.S., Hallowell, M.R., Shah, J.A. and Riek, L.D., 2019, March. Consider the human work experience when integrating robotics in the workplace. In 2019 14th ACM/IEEE international conference on human-robot interaction (HRI) (pp. 75-84). IEEE.

Description of the topic

Online learning is defined as learning material delivered to students electronically through the internet and multimedia platforms (Heng, and Sol, 2021). Currently, many online learning platforms in the forms of websites and STEM apps are available through which students can avail of learning material and complete their courses online (Abuhassna et al., 2020). These platforms are also used in India and are expected to improve the overall education sector, which can also result in decreasing the illiterate rate to a great extent. To understand this, the given research study can mainly focus on conducting the empirical study to determine the role of online- learning platforms in improving education quality in India.

Research objectives

• To explore different types of online platforms used to deliver better education or learning material to students in India.
• To identify the major benefits of using online learning platforms for the betterment of students.
• To investigate the opinions of students regarding online learning platforms in terms of providing education and reducing illiteracy in India.

Research questions

RQ: How can online learning platforms help in reducing the illiteracy rate in India by improving the service quality of the education sector?

Research methodology

To conduct this research, the quantitative research approach can be selected with the use of which an empirical study can be conducted for the collection of opinions from the people. For gathering necessary data, students in India can be targeted to understand their viewpoints regarding online learning platforms. A sample of about 15 participants can be collected to obtain the required data following a random sampling approach. The survey can be shared through emails and their responses can be interpreted by creating graphs or charts. A critical evaluation can be done to analyze the research results and findings based on collected responses to complete the study successfully.

References

• Heng, K. and Sol, K., 2021. Online learning during COVID-19: Key challenges and suggestions to enhance effectiveness. Cambodian Journal of Educational Research, 1(1), pp.3-16.
• Abu Hassan, H., Al-Rahmi, W.M., Yahya, N., Zakaria, M.A.Z.M., Kosnin, A.B.M. and Darwish, M., 2020. Development of a new model for utilizing online learning platforms to improve students’ academic achievements and satisfaction. International Journal of Educational Technology in Higher Education, 17, pp.1-23.

Description of the topic

IoT (Internet of Things) has been deployed in many organizations or industries for faster connectivity and data sharing (Abba Ari, et al., 2020). As per the report generated in 2019 by Microsoft, it has been estimated that more than 94% of organizations are expected to use IoT technology and this expectation has been proven true as it is deployed by people in homes, the healthcare industry, smart cities, automobiles etc. Along with the various benefits offered by this technology, it may also cause several security and privacy issues (Hathaliya, and Tanwar, 2020). So, this study can focus on reviewing different types of security and privacy issues associated with IoT technology and suitable recommendations that can be deployed to make the adoption of IoT technology successful in all aspects.

Research objectives

• To study the major applications of IoT technology in different industries.
• To review various privacy and security issues that can be caused while using IoT technology.
• To recommend effective strategies and solutions to manage security and privacy issues associated with the IoT technology.

Research questions

RQ1: What are the major security and privacy issues that can be encountered by IoT users?

RQ2: What are the potential security and privacy management approaches that can be used to make IoT technology secure?

Research methodology

The given study can be conducted with the use of qualitative research methods using which review-based analysis can be performed to study existing sources available in the selected domain. Some major sources to be reviewed in this research mainly include research papers, conference papers and other published articles. This paper review analysis can help in analyzing the current studies done by practitioners to collect desired knowledge for obtaining the research findings effectively.

References

• Abba Ari, A.A., Ngangmo, O.K., Titounis, C., Thiare, O., Mohamadou, A. and Gueroui, A.M., 2020. Enabling privacy and security in Cloud of Things: Architecture, applications, security & privacy challenges. Applied Computing and Informatics.
• Hathaliya, J.J. and Tanwar, S., 2020. An exhaustive survey on security and privacy issues in Healthcare 4.0. Computer Communications, 153, pp.311-335.

Description of the topic

It has been assumed that the adoption of the right digital technology can help organizations to make the business able to reach the heights and achieve the defined SMART goals (Priyono, et al., 2020). During the Covid-19 pandemic when most organizations were closed due to lockdown, they adopted new technologies and innovative solutions to resume their operations and maintain productivity (Khalil, Abdelli, and Mogaji, 2022). In this concern, the given study can aim at conducting an empirical study on the use of digital technologies by SMEs during the Covid-19 pandemic and elaborate on potential opportunities they gain after the adoption of these technologies.

Research objectives

• To study the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic and lockdown on the operations and business of organizations.
• To explore the technological solutions adopted by organizations to resume their business operations even during a lockdown.
• To study the major opportunities gained by SMEs digital technologies during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Research questions

RQ1: What are the common technological solutions adopted by organizations to resume their business operations even during a lockdown?

RQ2: How has the adoption of technological solutions benefitted SMEs to perform operational and business tasks to gain the required productivity?

Research methodology

This study can be conducted using quantitative methodology with the consideration of which online survey can be conducted to collect the responses from organizations and their employees regarding the types of technologies they adopt. The primary data can be gathered for conducting this research by considering the employees of different companies (SMEs) to gather useful insights. The collected data can be analyzed critically to answer the defined research questions and complete the research successfully.

References

• Priyono, A., Moin, A. and Putri, V.N.A.O., 2020. Identifying digital transformation paths in the business model of SMEs during the COVID-19 pandemic. Journal of Open Innovation: Technology, Market, and Complexity, 6(4), p.104.
• Khalil, A., Abdelli, M.E.A. and Mogaji, E., 2022. Do Digital Technologies Influence the Relationship between the COVID-19 Crisis and SMEs’ Resilience in Developing Countries? Journal of Open Innovation: Technology, Market, and Complexity, 8(2), p.100.