Center for Digitized Public Spheres Research (ZEDOE)

The Center for Digitized Public Spheres Research focuses on the theoretical and empirical analysis of the preconditions, characteristics and characteristics of digitizes public spheres. Analyses are conducted from a social science perspective, in particular a communication science perspective on the mico, meso and macro level. Research also addresses specific (partial) public spheres and their processes of interchange with various societal subsystems (such as politics, economy, science). Innovative theoretical approaches and research methods for digitized communication and accompanying processes or societal changes are developed in this process.
The center’s aims are to bring together the researchers that are engaged in research concerning digitized public spheres at the University of Münster (WWU), to encourage the exchange and the discussion with external researchers and to make the research results fruitful academic teaching.
The aims also include promoting the engagement in public discourses and to strengthen WWU’s profile in this research area, especially in the department of Communication Science.

The operations of the Center for Digitized Public Spheres Research include the following:

• Initiation, planning and coordination of third party projects for (interdisciplinary) research concerning digitized public spheres;
• Organization of symposia, speech and lecture series with the involvement of external researchers;
• Execution of colloquia and courses for professors, scientific staff, PhD students and students and students in order to promote junior researchers;
• Active transfer of knowledge to the general public and to expert and thematic audiences, contact maintenance and -mediation and consulting and mutual exchange of information with national and international organizations.