[Air-l] Have a great conference ... research ideas for 2004

[Steven Clift]

It was great to meet so many of you when your conference came through
Minneapolis in 2001.  I'll have to scan your agenda and pretend that I am
there.

If you attend the "e-democracy: Localism" session
<http://www.ecommons.net/aoir/aoir2003/index.php?p=114> on Sunday be sure
to grill Jakob Jensen <http://www.jakoblinaa.blogspot.com/> on his paper
about about "Minnesota E-Democracy - Online Participation And Political
Effects" <http://www.ecommons.net/aoir/aoir2003/index.php?t=328>. :-)  I
think the questions that he asked our forum participants get at the
important agenda-setting issues and provide a useful template for future
comparisons with other forums.  They also help one imagine the political
impact of the online medium if such local public issue forums were
successfully implemented in more cities.

E-Democracy.Org does have a research section on our web site
<http://www.e-democracy.org/research/> with the fresh content toward the
bottom of the page.

Some less know articles linked from here include:

Bridging and Bonding Social Capital in an Online Public Sphere: the case of
MN E-Democracy (Word), a Masters Thesis by Kimberly B. Kirn, 2001- Provided
by E-Democracy with the permission of the author.

Civic Engagement in the Cyberspace Era: A Study of a Local Cybergroup
(PDF), A Ph.D by Gay Henry Lyons, 2002 - This is NOT focused on Minnesota
E-Democracy specifically, but it does explore a similar forum like our own
in Knoxville, Tennesse.



As I indicated, E-Democracy.Org is interested in working with researchers
ready to create vital knowledge about the application of information and
communication technologies and strategies _with_ democratic intent.  So as
you get ready for AOIR in 2004, feel free to contact us.

Steven Clift
E-Democracy.Org
http://www.e-democracy.org/about