A cartography of digital literacy - conceptual categories and main issues in the theorization and study of digital literacies - José Miguel Samaniego

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by hdkawk

This paper presents a cartography of the digital literacy academic field, building a structured overview through two complementary parts: a literature-based categorization and an analysis of main issues using thematic and network approaches. Five conceptual categories of digital literacies are identified—functional, sociocultural, critical, transformative, and sociomaterial—while 21 recurring themes are mapped and interpreted across eight encompassing issue spaces spanning conceptions and practices, education, access and the digital divide, digital texts, and online and workplace concerns.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages19

Reading Time48 min

AccessFree to download

I. Introduction

Digital literacy as a plural and evolving construct

Broad meanings and theoretical perspectives

Systematic documentation and existing categorizations

Purpose and scope of the paper

A cartography of categories and main issues the theorization and study of digital literacies A cartography of digital literacy: conceptual categories and main issues in the theorization and study of digital literacies José Miguel Samaniego [samaniegoeguiguren@gmail.com](samaniegoeguiguren@gmail.com) [https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0453-4697](https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0453-4697) Universidad de Salamanca, Spain Abstract This paper presents a cartography of the digital literacy academic field. Such cartography is comprised of two sections: a categorization of the field through literature review and analysis, and an exploration of its main issues through thematic and network analysis. On the one hand, five conceptual categories of digital literacies are found: functional, sociocultural, critical, transformative, and sociomaterial. On the other, main issues are described with 21 recurring themes of digital literacy and a few networks depicting its most salient matters of concern, concluding with an interpretation of these in the composition of 8 encompassing issue spaces: digital literacies conceptions and practices, digital literacy in education, access and digital divide, digital texts and literacy, websites and social networks, digital technologies at the workplace and healthcare, digital technologies users and uses, and information issues. Finally, a few paragraphs are dedicated to the limitations of categorizing and issue mapping. Keywords digital literacy; cartography; categorization; issue mapping; network analysis Digital Education Review ⎮ ISSN 2013-9144 ⎮ [http://revistes.ub.edu/der](http://revistes.ub.edu/der) Number 43, June 2023 ⎮ [http://doi/10.1344/10.1344/der.2023.43.66-84](http://doi/10.1344/10.1344/der.2023.43.66-84) 68 I. Introduction Both conceptually and practically, digital literacy (DL) is notable for its multiplicity as it refers to diverse meanings and practices in research, policy, and education (Nichols & Stornaiuolo, 2019) . The expression “digital literacy” is uttered in a variety of projects generally associated with “access, evaluation, curation, and production of information in digital environments”, ranging “from studies of screen-based reading comprehension [through] accounts of youth media practices [to] applications of critical theory”(Nichols & Stornaiuolo, 2019, p. 14) . As a dynamic and continuously evolving concept (Lund et al., 2019), and one that can be approached from various theoretical perspectives (Lee et al., 2019), there is no totalizing academic consensus on what DL implies. The concept can manifest ambiguities (Spires, 2019) when attempting a single definition. To this, it must be added that DL belongs to a family of conceptual constructs that are themselves disparate; names that these notions adopt are characterized by the combination of a domain prefix, such as‘media’,‘information’, or ‘digital’, with an indicative of ‘competence’,‘skill’, or ‘literacy’ (Lund et al., 2019) . Considering the multiple levels on which DL operates, it is convenient to start by citing its broadest meanings. Pangrazio (2016) notes that digital literacies are often positioned as semiotic activities mediated electronically, plus the investigation of specific digital practices or skills. Similarly, Yue et al. (2019) identify DL with the ability to negotiate and navigate digital platforms, and the knowledge about digitally mediated activities. Even broader descriptions are those that Darvin (2017) and Hagerman (2019) pose: for them, digital literacies are communicative practices of relationship, being, and thought associated with digital technologies (DT), which make, negotiate, and transform multimodal meanings in specific social contexts. Lastly, Traxler provides a provisional definition that encompasses specific elements of intent: DL corresponds to the “skills, abilities and attitudes that enable people and communities to survive, flourish and grow in an environment that is

FAQs

What is the paper’s main objective?

It maps the digital literacy academic field by categorizing the literature and analyzing its main issues using thematic and network analysis.

Which five conceptual categories of digital literacies does the paper identify?

Functional, sociocultural, critical, transformative, and sociomaterial categories.

How are the paper’s “main issues” organized?

Main issues are described through 21 recurring themes and interpreted through eight encompassing issue spaces covering education, access and the digital divide, digital texts, and related online and workplace concerns.

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by hdkawk