Hello Academics of the world, we would like to work with you!

We at mySociety build and popularise digital tools worldwide that help citizens exert power over institutions and decision-makers. Or do we?

Wanting to know whether our well-meaning civic tech is actually making a difference, mySociety recently created the post of Head of Research. My name is Dr Rebecca Rumbul, and I have now been installed in that role for about 6 weeks. I want to know if civic tech like ours is having an impact on citizens and governments, and how such sites operate and negotiate issues not just in the UK, but in the 50 or so countries that we know have digital democracy websites operating in them.

Into the unkown

There is enormous scope for interesting and important research to be conducted using sites such as the ones that mySociety and our partners operate. The digital nature of our focus means that we can collect large volumes of data online at a low cost.

That said, there is nothing quite like making connections on the ground or meeting people face to face. mySociety is a small NGO, and does not have the capacity to conduct all of the research activities it would like on its own.

Therefore, we are actively seeking to work with academic partners on both qualitative and quantitative research focusing on the impact of civic tech.

We are planning to conduct research in the following countries. If you are an academic based in one of these countries and interested in our research agenda, please get in touch. We will be very happy to hear from you. Contact me via research@mysociety.org

Countries:

  • Argentina
  • Chile
  • Hungary
  • Kenya
  • Malaysia
  • Mexico
  • Norway
  • South Africa
  • Ukraine
  • Uruguay

We conduct and disseminate research regularly. If you would like to hear more about our activities and events, sign up for our newsletter.

Image credit: Into the Unknown by Gary Gao (angrytoast), CC BY-NC 2.0