Research questions

DiCED will investigate whether the capacity of campaigns to influence voters and decide outcomes is changing, and particularly whether campaigns are now taking on a more influential role as they become increasingly data-driven. We also study the proposed effects of these campaigns: do they mobilise and inform citizens, or do they rather demobilize, divide and disinform? We specifically ask four research questions:

1. What is data-driven campaigning (DDC) and can it be seen as forming a new and distinct era of electioneering in conceptual and historical terms?
2. Whilst we consider the emergence of DDC both in party and national or country level terms, we also ask: Where is DDC emerging and what are the organisational and systemic-level factors that appear to be most closely associated with its development?
3. What are the key effects (positive and negative) of the use of these DDC at the individual (micro), party (meso) and systemic (macro) levels?
4. What are the policy and regulatory implications of DDC? What does it require from citizens in terms of Digital Information Literacy skills and how might those be delivered?