Distributed Deliberative Citizens: Exploring the Impact of Cyberinfrastructure on Transnational Civil Society Participation in Global ICT Policy Processes.

This study explores the impact of a CMC-based ?policy collaboratory? on a transnational NGO network participating in the UN World Summit on the Information Society. We developed a conceptual framework based on based on an interdisciplinary literature, ranging from political science and international relations to communication and information studies, but drawing primarily on Roger?s (1995) diffusion of innovation thesis and taking a social network approach (Wasserman and Faust, 1994; Borgatti and Foster 2003). To explore the conceptual framework, we asked four ?grand tour? research questions: (1) How is a policy collaboratory introduced into a transnational policy network?; (2) how is the collaboratory used?; (3) what impact does it have on participants?; and (4) to what degree can it be institutionalized? Using the second phase of WSIS as the setting for this longitudinal mixed-methods study, we purposefully selected the participants from the active WSIS civil society networks. After collecting baseline data in December 2003, we designed and implemented the collaboratory in January 2004, continuing to collect multi-modal data (surveys, interviews, email, computer logs) until shortly after the Tunis WSIS in November 2005. Key findings include: (1) training and a visionary change-agent are critical to successful diffusion; (2) participants may not utilize the full potential of the collaboratory; (3) even with limited use, the collaboratory can help to empower network members, especially those from developing countries, (4) institutionalization of the collaboratory requires at least medium-term commitment and financial support. The study provides an example of the challenges and opportunities of the Internet and CMC tools to enhance global deliberative democracy. ..PAT.-Unpublished Manuscript [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]