DIGIPART - Digitalisation in Parties dataset (v.0)

The Digitalisation in Parties (DIGIPART) dataset (v.0) contains information on party digitalisation features from 62 parties from five major European countries: Germany, Italy, France, Spain and the United Kingdom. The dataset is stored in Excel format (xlsx) as well as the codebook. The information and evidence from the different parties was gathered and coded between July 2021 and September 2022.

The DIGIPART dataset (v.0) compiles information on the digitalisation features of 62 political parties across five major European countries: Germany, Italy, France, Spain, and the United Kingdom. It is stored in Excel format (xlsx), along with a codebook, serving as a valuable resource for researchers.

While numerous studies examine the influence of digital technologies on political parties, a comprehensive comparative analysis of parties' responses to digitalisation remains scarce. The DIGIPART dataset aims to fill this gap by mapping and analysing parties' digitalisation efforts.

DIGIPART includes fundamental data for identifying units of analysis, such as COUNTRY_ID and COUNTRY codes following Eurostat conventions, PARTY_ID codes, party acronyms, party names in English, year of foundation, ideology based on the Chapel Hill Experts Survey, election year, percentage of votes, and share of MPs in the national parliament's Lower Chamber. Vote and MP data are sourced from the Parlgov database or press sources for parties not covered in Parlgov.

Structured according to Fitzpatrick’s Five Pillar model, with adaptations for alternative digital democracy conceptions, the dataset provides insights into six main dimensions of party functions and activities: elections (EL), deliberation (DEL), participation (PART), resources (SOURCE), and communication (COM). Each dimension features several dichotomously coded indicators: 0 for no evidence of digital activity, 1 for evidence, and a dot (.) for controversial evidence or when none is found. Overall, the dataset offers specific information on 23 indicators, making it the most comprehensive account of party digitalisation to date.