E-participation on the local level ? A census survey approach for researching its implementation

Research shows a gap regarding knowledge about the diffusion of e-participation projects actually implemented in local contexts. This study provides an approach that allows for collecting exhaustive data on e-participation projects for specific political units. It enables an analysis of its implementation over time and regarding explanatory factors. By applying the approach to a local unit with almost 400 municipalities, we discuss its opportunities and limitations. We present a feasible method to develop a quantitative data set of the diffusion of specific, implemented e-participation projects; however, its capacity to explain this process in detail is limited.