Data

General Issues
Governance & Political Institutions
Human Rights & Civil Rights
Education
Specific Topics
Political Rights
Political Parties
Public Participation
Location
1 Universitätsring
Wien
Wien
1010
Austria
Scope of Influence
Multinational
Links
When it comes to the meanings of voting, there is no right or wrong answer and everyone can have a say!
Start Date
End Date
Ongoing
Yes
Purpose/Goal
Research
Make, influence, or challenge decisions of government and public bodies
Approach
Research
Spectrum of Public Participation
Consult
General Types of Methods
Participatory arts
Research or experimental method
General Types of Tools/Techniques
Inform, educate and/or raise awareness
Recruit or select participants
Collect, analyse and/or solicit feedback
Legality
Yes
Face-to-Face, Online, or Both
Online
Types of Interaction Among Participants
No Interaction Among Participants
Decision Methods
Not Applicable
Communication of Insights & Outcomes
Public Report
New Media
Type of Organizer/Manager
Academic Institution
Funder
European Research Council (ERC)
Type of Funder
International Organization
Staff
Yes
Volunteers
No
Evidence of Impact
Yes
Types of Change
Changes in people’s knowledge, attitudes, and behavior
Implementers of Change
Lay Public
Experts
Formal Evaluation
Yes

CASE

DeVOTE - The meanings of 'voting' for citizens

January 31, 2022 devote.staatswissenschaft
General Issues
Governance & Political Institutions
Human Rights & Civil Rights
Education
Specific Topics
Political Rights
Political Parties
Public Participation
Location
1 Universitätsring
Wien
Wien
1010
Austria
Scope of Influence
Multinational
Links
When it comes to the meanings of voting, there is no right or wrong answer and everyone can have a say!
Start Date
End Date
Ongoing
Yes
Purpose/Goal
Research
Make, influence, or challenge decisions of government and public bodies
Approach
Research
Spectrum of Public Participation
Consult
General Types of Methods
Participatory arts
Research or experimental method
General Types of Tools/Techniques
Inform, educate and/or raise awareness
Recruit or select participants
Collect, analyse and/or solicit feedback
Legality
Yes
Face-to-Face, Online, or Both
Online
Types of Interaction Among Participants
No Interaction Among Participants
Decision Methods
Not Applicable
Communication of Insights & Outcomes
Public Report
New Media
Type of Organizer/Manager
Academic Institution
Funder
European Research Council (ERC)
Type of Funder
International Organization
Staff
Yes
Volunteers
No
Evidence of Impact
Yes
Types of Change
Changes in people’s knowledge, attitudes, and behavior
Implementers of Change
Lay Public
Experts
Formal Evaluation
Yes

DeVOTE is a research project funded by the European Research Council (ERC) from January 2021 to December 2025. A research team at the University of Vienna led by Ass.-Prof. Carolina Plescia aims to provide first-time evidence on what ‘voting’ means for ordinary citizens.

Problems and Purpose

The question "What is the meaning of voting?", is of great importance today due to the growing distrust in the act of voting itself and in democratic institutions in many countries around the world.

Background History and Context

The DeVOTE project investigates the political, symbolic and psychological meanings of voting. What does voting mean to you? Is voting a civic duty? Is there a political alternative to voting?

Organizing, Supporting, and Funding Entities

DeVOTE is a research project funded by the European Research Council (ERC) from January 2021 to December 2025.  The research team is led by the Principal Investigator Ass.-Prof. Carolina Plescia and is hosted by the Department of Government at the University of Vienna.

Participant Recruitment and Selection

The aim of DeVOTE is to encourage everyone to provide their (own) definitions of voting online, via a citizen science platform. In this way, exchange between the interested public and academia is facilitated.

Methods and Tools Used

The project engages the public through a multilingual citizen science platform.

What Went On: Process, Interaction, and Participation

DeVOTE invites you to participate by sharing your own meanings of voting and help us explore the diversity, change and use of all possible meanings of voting in your own country and beyond. Participation is possible via an online form on the project website. There are various ways you can take part in DeVOTE:

1. your opinion matters → DEFINE VOTING!

You can write down terms and descriptions for your own definition of voting answering the question “What does voting mean to you?”

2. you the observer → IMAGINE DEFINITIONS!

You can tell us where your definition of voting comes from.

3. you the researcher → COLLECT DATA!

You can search for the many possible definitions that journalists, parties, politicians, stakeholders and so on give to voting and describe them.

4. you the expert → CATEGORIZE MEANINGS!

You can provide direct input to the researchers in DeVOTE by categorizing the meanings of voting we have collected.

Influence, Outcomes, and Effects

The project’s goals are to:

  • understand what ‘voting’ means for ordinary citizens;
  • examine the variation of 'voting' meanings across individuals and across countries;
  • study how elections create and modify these 'voting' meanings;
  • investigate the consequences of 'voting' meanings for citizens' preferences, attitudes and their political behaviours;
  • devise an election 'observatory' for systematic data collection on the meanings of voting on Election Day that can favour the scientific interpretation of election outcomes.


External Links

https://www.votemeanings.eu/participate-now