Rural Digitalisation in the Context of European Approaches and Practices: Scoping Review

Abstract

The digital transformation of rural Russia is performed in the context of the lack of complete information on European experience, as the existing reviews only examine certain aspects of this issue. To fill this knowledge gap, the present study identifies the entire set of key concepts and characteristics used in European approaches and practices for the digitalisation of rural areas. The review aims to compile publications of European authors within the subject field. The method of content analysis of relevant publications since the early 1990s until 2022 was utilised. The search was conducted using keywords in the Scopus database and other search engines. The relevance of foreign publications, citations and impact factors of journals were considered during the selection process. The emergence (1990s) of an endogenous approach to rural development and its transformation into a neo-endogenous paradigm determined the mindset and methodology of scientists in this subject field for all subsequent years. The focus on local communities, resources and control in the endogenous approach has been incorporated into the neo-endogenous paradigm. Additionally, knowledge, innovation, networks, social capital and relationships with the external environment became important components of the concept of smart and digital development. Further research is needed to examine socio-economic consequences of rural digitalisation, possibilities of smart and digital development of peripheral areas, the essence of social innovation and digital villages. The review results can be studied in order to apply European approaches and practices for the digitalisation of rural areas in Russia.