Measuring deliberation online:a comparative analysis of discussions on Ekşi Sözlük

As the crisis of representation deepens in the traditional representative democratic institutions, new forms of democracy such as deliberative democracy become more significant. Deliberative Democracy is a form of democracy which centres deliberation and consideration to its core. The objective of this thesis is to measure online deliberative democratic practices on Ekşi Sözlük. As the internet become more reachable, it creates a potential to remove the reasons that created representative democracy. New forms of democracy, then, should be considered in this new platform of democratic practices -the internet. Analysing whether deliberative democratic practices are accomplished in political discussions on forum-like websites such as Ekşi Sözlük, is a way to see new forms of democracy is possible in the internet. By using the Online Group Deliberation Coding Scheme, 3,706 Ekşi Sözlük entries were analysed in three topics on different political issues. Seven indicators were defined under analytical and social dimensions: creating an information base, values, identifying solutions, weighing solutions, common good orientation, respect, and reciprocity.