Web Sitelerinin e-Katılım Düzeyleri Üzerine Bir Araştırma: Türkiye Büyükşehir Belediyeleri Örneği.

The official websites of public institutions play an essential role in the relationship between central and local governments and citizens, as well as the provision of public services. Metropolitan municipalities, as well as the websites they service, play a significant role in the implementation of eparticipation processes. The aim of this research is to find out what e-participation services are available on the websites of metropolitan municipalities, which make up a significant part of local governments. The usability of the eparticipation content on the mentioned websites is evaluated in this context. The data was gathered by examining the websites of metropolitan municipalities and applying the content analysis method to them. 18 criteria created based on the literature were used to assess e-participation performance. The research found that communication and information mechanisms are at the forefront of the services provided to citizens on metropolitan municipalities' official websites. In addition, according to the e-participation evaluation criteria, Istanbul and Izmir metropolitan municipalities ranked first and second, respectively, in terms of website rankings. Metropolitan websites, on the other hand, have been determined to be insufficient in terms of participatory practices. The innovations brought about by technology in relation to the websites of metropolitan municipalities, as well as proposals for expanding online participation services, are discussed in the conclusion part. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]