For all those "websphere" research buffs, how would you apply your tools and techniques to daily monitoring of major web sites during election periods? This is a possible extension of media monitoring to promote free and fair elections. Think global, developing democracies ... What tools and practices would you recommend? The general idea is that weekly reports could be generated about major media sites, government run sites, etc.. for bias/balance in coverage, etc.. Also, from a campaign regulation approach on party/candidate/individual sites, issues of liable, right of reply, etc. are also included in the research request below. Thanks, Steven Clift Election Administration and the Internet Research Request --------------------------------------------------------------- This is NOT a research request about electronic voting. This research request is about the use of the Internet in the electoral process. This request covers all levels of election administration, law, and campaign practice around the world as these issues relate to the use of the Internet. Specifically: 1. Strategic use of the Internet by government Election Management Bodies. 2. Campaign regulations and laws related to the use of the Internet in elections. 3. The process of independent "media monitoring" to promote free and fair elections as applied to the Internet. Please reply by _April 1, 2004_ to: clift@publicus.net - More Detail - Of interest are best practice examples, research, reports, plans and proposals in any language related to: 1. Strategic use of the Internet by government Election Management Bodies. This includes online information and multimedia provision, two-way communication, administrative transactions (campaign finance reporting, updating or verifying voter registration/electoral roll, etc.), administrative communication and online coordination, voter education, and outreach to target and marginalized groups. Again, my research request does not cover voting technology nor remote Internet voting. 2. Campaign regulations and laws related to the use of the Internet in elections. This includes the use of the Internet during election campaign periods by political parties, candidates, governments, the media, major or minor web sites, interest groups, individuals and others. This includes the application of existing laws and rules on campaign and media practices online. 3. The process of independent "media monitoring" to promote free and fair elections as applied to the Internet. This includes standard practices related to online analysis and monitoring of the web sites and e-mail efforts of traditional media organizations, governments, and other large reach online information and news providers in election periods. I am conducting this research for the International Foundation for Election Systems <http://www.ifes.org>. It is part of a comprehensive effort to review new electoral practices as they relate to election administration standards. Electoral standards represent the foundation of democratic expectations necessary to ensure free and fair elections in any country. If you are not sure whether the information or research that you have is of interest, please send it in <clift@publicus.net> regardless. Suggested contacts are also valuable. If you would like to learn about the specific results of this research, please check with IFES. I will announce any important public news about this effort on my Democracies Online Newswire e-mail announcement list <http://www.dowire.org> as well. Sincerely, Steven Clift E-democracy expert and speaker clift@publicus.net http://publicus.net Steven Clift - http://publicus.net - Reply to: clift@publicus.net Join DoWire: http://e-democracy.org/do Speaking requests: http://publicus.net/speaker.html Watch my BBC World interview: http://publicus.net/media.html