Abstract:

Information and communication technology has played an important role in the development of the societies. The present study shows that this technology acts as an important infrastructure for the science, knowledge and education systems, because the application and development of different tools of information and communication technology helps the accumulation, recombination and innovation of knowledge capital. The findings of this research show that there are significant correlations between the information and communication technology and knowledge production indicators in the countries. Also the correlations between information and communication technology and knowledge production indicators are shown by a cognitive map. Cognitive maps can be used as useful tools for recognition, description and modeling of the complex systems. The positive high significant correlations between information and communication technology indicators such as internet users, international internet bandwidth and information and communication technology expenditures with knowledge production indicators such as journal articles and patents in the one hand, and the problematic and inadequate information and communication technology indicators in Iran on the other hand, can bring about problems in achieving the goals of the science and technology expressed in Iran’s twenty-year perspective document. Hence, to achieve the first rank in the science and technology in the region, we need to provide and develop the required infrastructures as one of the important infrastructures is information and communication technology which is necessary to be paid more attention.

Keywords:

information and communication technology, knowledge production, science.