dg.o2005 International Workshop: Operational e-Democracy Research:
Cross-National, Multi-Method, Interdisciplinary Studies of Digital Government
Operational e-Democracy Research:
Cross-National, Multi-Method, Interdisciplinary Studies of Digital Government
Tentative schedule: 8 a.m. to noon, Sunday, May 15, 2005
Brief Description
Electronic democracy (e-democracy) is attracting considerable policy, technology and academic attention. At a policy level, experiments range from e-voting through to attempts to improve citizen deliberation through on-line discussion groups. Technological solutions are proposed by both public and private actors for enhancing the functioning of contemporary democracies. Academic attention has focused on a range of issues, from attempts to address the security issues associated with e-voting through to empirical analyses of different deliberative experiments and the formulation of normative theory-driven analyses. However, the interdisciplinary study of e-democracy suffers from three main problems:
1. Translating Traditional Problems of Democracy
Democracy is not a settled concept. The tools and techniques of e-democracy implicitly articulate particular democratic values and favour particular approaches to democracy. Yet most studies of e-democracy leave these values implicit, assuming them to be given normative preferences rather than inherently ambiguous and negotiated ideals. For e-democracy to be properly studied it is necessary to develop specific conceptualisations and new analytical frameworks that help academics from various disciplines test theories about the impact of the new digital landscape. Research on democracy must take into account core democratic principles for developing new methods that both focus on and involve the latest information and communications technologies research.
2. Identifying Empirical Limitations and Opportunities
While discussions of e-democracy have existed for several years now, the real application of them is relatively new. Consequently, empirical studies are unable to analyse the long term effects of particular e-democracy interventions or instruments. To resolve this problem, it is necessary to design multi-method approaches that can test newly translated theories and models of e-democracy. At present, empirical studies are too concerned with reporting existing achievements rather than testing coherent, theory-driven hypotheses.
3. Building A Coherent Research Agenda
Different disciplines are concerned with different problems in the area of e-democracy. At the same time, however, these problems cut across each other. It is only by careful construction of a proper interdisciplinary framework that it will be possible to build a coherent and mutually beneficial research agenda.
Target Audience
Leading US and European scholars from a range of disciplinary backgrounds, different empirical traditions, and theoretical orientations will be invited to a half-day workshop Sunday May 15, from 8-12 to collaboratively build a research agenda for future cross-national, multi-method, interdisciplinary studies of e-democracy. We have secured commitments to participate from:
Alexander H. Trechsel (European University Institute, Italy)
Norbert Kersting (University of Marburg, Germany)
Thomas Zittel (MZES, University of Mannheim, Germany)
Lawrence Pratchett (De Montfort University, United Kingdom)
Stuart W. Shulman (University of Pittsburgh, United States)
David Schlosberg (Northern Arizona University, United States)
Stephen Zavestoski (University of San Francisco, United States)
Eduard Hovy (University of Southern California, ISI, United States)
Gary Marchionini (University of North Carolina, United States)
Toni Carbo (University of Pittsburgh, United States)
Peter Brusilovsky (University of Pittsburgh, United States)
Daqing He (University of Pittsburgh, United States)
Janyce M Wiebe (University of Pittsburgh, United States)
White Paper Instructions
Participants in the workshop are required to submit a 2-page, single-spaced White Paper addressing the workshop theme: Operational e-Democracy Research: Cross-National, Multi-Method, Interdisciplinary Studies of Digital Government. Participants must address at least one of the three problems highlighted above. Specifically, the White Papers should discuss the types of emerging Digital Government research problems that the author feels are amenable to international dg.o-style research projects. White Papers for this workshop should seek to identify opportunities for, and barriers to, cross-national, interdisciplinary studies at the intersection of social, computer, and information sciences. No citations are required. Rather, these papers ought to be written in the visionary mode, with a clear recognition that the various disciplines represented fit together rather poorly.
Draft White Papers are due February 3, 2005.
Revision requests will be received by the authors no later than February 10, 2005. Revised copies will need to be submitted no later than February 15, 2005. Final copies (with approval from the workshop Chair) must be submitted via the dg.o website by the author by February 18, 2005. Absolutely no deadline extensions permitted.
