DEMO-net is a Network of Excellence project funded under the European Commission's sixth framework programme: Information Society Technologies IST (FP6-2004-27219). The project started 1 January 2006, will be funded for 4 years and has a detailed workplan for the first 18 months.

The overarching objective of DEMO-net is to strengthen scientific, technological and social research excellence in eParticipation by integrating the research capacities of individuals and organisations spread across Europe. The intention is to advance the way research is carried out in Europe with respect to quality, efficiency, innovation and impact to overcome the currently fragmented approach to eParticipation in this important European research area. The network with this overall objective will provide a major contribution to the strategic goals set by the European Council.

Therefore the four high level objectives of DEMO-net are:

• To achieve a lasting integration of currently fragmented research in eParticipation
• To stimulate joint research in DEMO-net's agreed research areas
• To disseminate DEMO-net research amongst eParticipation stakeholders
• To provide a barometer of research effectiveness for eParticipation in Europe by establishing a corpus of lessons-learnt resource to show what kind of projects have delivered what kind of results and thereby considered effective for eParticipation.

In order to reach this objective, DEMO-net will:

• Co-ordinate and integrate the members’ research activities clustered around the research and technological objectives (Joint research activities) as described below.
• Achieve close and sustained co-operation between government and academia, in order to improve the quality of research and understanding on both sides.
• Assess and compare research already made on eParticipation in cities, regions and countries across Europe and worldwide.
• Provide the necessary technological infrastructure to facilitate discussion, co-operation and data exchange.
• Ensure growth and sustainability of the network by encouraging and motivating organisations and researchers in areas relevant to eParticipation to join in the activities of DEMO-net.
• Mobilise relationships among the many stakeholders involved with participation research and also those dependant on the results of that research.
• Ensure dissemination of research outcomes of DEMO-net to widest possible audience for the benefit of researchers, government and citizens.

DEMO-net takes as its stating point the experience accumulated by a number of leading European research organisations that have studied the underlying principles of eParticipation and actively worked with governments across Europe in applying and evaluating eParticipation. To ensure sustainability of the research and dissemination of the results expert practitioners from government agencies across Europe are supporting DEMO-net. By bringing together a multidisciplinary grouping there is an opportunity to create and sustain a step change in the level of eParticipation research, which is directed towards achieving active citizenship and reducing voter apathy on one hand, and strengthening common efforts in advanced innovative technology development for e-participation on the other. All of which aims to enable Europe to better address its democratic deficit.

A number of key challenges have been highlighted with regard to eParticipation. In order to address these challenges, DEMO-net has established three high-level research objectives, which are:

Objective 1: Establish a corpus of material that stores in accessible form empirically based research and policy documents related to eParticipation. This will be the European baseline for research and policy-making.
1.1 Research knowledge architectures to support access to the corpus by different stakeholders with different objectives.
1.2 Research relevant interfaces to support evidence-based decision-making for policy-makers and practitioners (such as civil society organisations)

Objective 2: Investigate barriers to eParticipation across Europe.
2.1 Research discourse analysis techniques to explore agenda setting, and alliance building at different levels.
2.2 Mapping of current and emergent eParticipation technological infrastructures
2.3 Mapping of current and emergent eParticipation methods.

Objective 3: Establish sets of criteria which will allow evaluation of future eParticipation initiatives to be undertaken in a systematic and standardised way across Europe.
3.1 Harmonise and align concepts, terminology and methods from the various academic disciplines involved.
3.2 Harmonise and align concepts, terminology and methods from the various non-academic stakeholders, eg European, national, regional and local governments.

Obtaining progress beyond the current fragmented state-of-the-art on eParticipation will require a combined effort by researchers representing different disciplines and expert practitioners from government agencies. DEMO-net will provide the structural and infra-structural foundation for the longer-term collaborations which will ensure these advances.