Study shines light on what makes digital activism effective

University of Washington - Posted under: News Releases , Politics and Government , Research , Social Science Digital activism is usually nonviolent and tends to work best when social media tools are combined with street-level organization, according to new research from the University of Washington. The findings come from a report released today (Nov. 20) by the Digital Activism Research Project run by Philip Howard , UW professor of communication, information and international studies. Founded by Howard in 2012, the project applies rigorous empirical social science methods to the study of global digital activism. "This is the largest investigation of digital activism ever undertaken,” Howard said. "We looked at just under 2,000 cases over a 20-year period, with a very focused look at the last two years. Howard and coauthors Frank Edwards and Mary Joyce, both UW doctoral students, oversaw 40 student analysts who reviewed news stories by citizen and professional journalists describing digital activism campaigns worldwide.