André Bächtiger & Jürg Steiner - Chapter Nine. How to Measure the Quality of Deliberation? The Discourse Quality Index (DQI) as a Possible Tool

This article proposes an automated methodology for the analysis of online political discourse. Drawing from the discourse quality index (DQI) by Steenbergen et al., it applies a machine learning–based quantitative approach to measuring the discourse quality of political discussions online. The DelibAnalysis framework aims to provide an accessible, replicable methodology for the measurement of discourse quality that is both platform and language agnostic. The framework uses a simplified version of the DQI to train a classifier, which can then be used to predict the discourse quality of any non-coded comment in a given political discussion online. The objective of this research is to provide a systematic framework for the automated discourse quality analysis of large datasets and, in applying this framework, to yield insight into the structure and features of political discussions online.

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Deliberation about the 2014 Umbrella Movement in a Hong Kong elite newspaper: A quantitative study of the Hong Kong Economic Journal

Asian Journal of Comparative Politics ◽

10.1177/2057891119898524 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 205789111989852

Author(s):

Waikeung Tam

Keyword(s):

Hong Kong ◽

Public Sphere ◽

Quality Index ◽

Public Issues ◽

Economic Journal ◽

The City ◽

Public Concerns ◽

Significant Question ◽

Discourse Quality

Deliberative democratic theorists have argued that effective deliberation is central to democracy. Does Hong Kong possess a viable public sphere for deliberating important public issues, as the city has been striving for a full democracy since the 1980s? This article addresses this significant question by examining the quality of deliberation on the 2014 Umbrella Movement by the editorials and commentaries in an elite print Chinese newspaper – the Hong Kong Economic Journal – based on the “Discourse Quality Index” and other criteria used by major works on mediated deliberation. This article argues that the Journal has served as a viable public sphere for deliberating important public concerns in Hong Kong. The Journal’s editorials and commentaries performed well in terms of offering reasoned arguments and engaging in dialogue with opposing viewpoints. Regarding respect for the actors which were involved in the Umbrella Movement, the Journal as a whole had maintained a civilized tone. However, there was an indication that commentary authors had less tolerance toward actors from the opposite camps.

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The politics of justification? Applying the ‘Discourse Quality Index’ to the study of the European Parliament

European Political Science Review ◽

10.1017/s1755773911000300 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 5 (1) ◽

pp. 27-54 ◽

Cited By ~ 12

Author(s):

Christopher Lord ◽

Dionysia Tamvaki

Keyword(s):

European Union ◽

Quality Index ◽

Measurement Instrument ◽

Personal Characteristics ◽

European Parliament ◽

The Other ◽

Other Hand ◽

Institutional Issues ◽

Discourse Quality

In this paper, we apply a revised version of the Discourse Quality Index (DQI) developed by Steenbergen et al. to European Parliament (EP) debates. This updated measurement instrument, after the inclusion of new indicators, helps us identify not just the principles of European Union (EU) deliberation but most importantly the favourable contextual conditions of supranational deliberation. We illustrate the new DQI coding for selected debates over the last EU parliamentary term and discuss how the data can be employed to assess the overall quality of deliberation in the EP. At the same time we demonstrate that institutional issues matter for the quality of EP discourse, as do Members of the European Parliaments’ personal characteristics. Issue attributes on the other hand, influence supranational deliberation but not in the expected direction.

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The Role of Precision in Spatial Narratives: Using a Modified Discourse Quality Index to Measure the Quality of Deliberative Spatial Data

International Journal of Humanities and Arts Computing ◽

10.3366/ijhac.2020.0252 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 14 (1-2) ◽

pp. 197-217

Author(s):

Christopher Marder ◽

Jennifer Bernstein

Keyword(s):

Spatial Data ◽

Quality Index ◽

Information Science ◽

Geographic Information Science ◽

National Forest ◽

Revision Process ◽

Spatial Locations ◽

Discourse Quality

The importance of spatial precision in geographic information science is not limited to quantitative data. As spatial data can also exist in qualitative form, modifying a discourse quality index from the field of discourse ethics can help understand whether mentioning specific spatial locations changes the quality of spatial narratives. The discourse quality index was modified by incorporating an item into the index that detected the presence and magnitude of a spatial precision construct. The spatial narratives analyzed with this modified index were 151 public comments submitted during a public policy revision process, for a national forest plan revision at the Chugach National Forest in Alaska, USA. Analysis showed when discourse quality values underwent a comparison of means test, the values were significantly changed between comments with no spatial precision versus those considered to have spatial precision. The results suggest, preliminarily, that employing spatial precision in narratives changes discourse quality during deliberative activities. Further, the way in which people use spatial precision to communicate during a policy revision process can impact how spatial narratives are understood and valued.

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Deliberation level of constitutional debates in Georgian Parliament

Politics in Central Europe ◽

10.2478/pce-2020-0014 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 16 (1) ◽

pp. 309-325

Author(s):

Vladimeri Napetvaridze ◽

Tina Tskhovrebadze ◽

Tamila Niparishvili ◽

Kristina Niparishvili

Keyword(s):

Quality Index ◽

Discourse Ethics ◽

Reliable Measurement ◽

Parliamentary Debates ◽

Political Debates ◽

Parliamentary Debate ◽

The Given ◽

Discourse Quality

AbstractIn the given paper a discourse quality index (DQI) tool, rooted to criteria elaborated by Jurgen Habermas’s in his discourse ethics, will be modified and used to assess the deliberation level of the 1995 Georgian Parliament. The methodology will accurately represent important principles of deliberation. Due to its focus on observable behavior and its detailed coding instructions, a discourse quality index can be a reliable measurement of the quality of political debates. The DQI for a parliamentary debate in the example of the 1995 parliament of Georgia will be illustrated in the given article. The parliamentarian debates concerning the adoption of the 1995 constitution of Georgia, according to its importance, will be taken as the specific case to be analysed. In the framework of the research, scholars will study and analyse over 200 pages of stenographic recordings of the parliamentary debates connected to the mentioned topic. The DQI score will be evaluated based on the analyses of the stenographic records.

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Quality of Governance at the Communal Level in Poland: an Exploratory Study of the Worst Performer Case From the Opolskie Province

Administrative Culture ◽

10.32994/hk.v21i1.224 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 21 (1) ◽

pp. 22-55

Author(s):

Bartosz Czepil

Keyword(s):

Exploratory Study ◽

Quality Index ◽

Extreme Case ◽

Quality Level ◽

Case Method ◽

Major Conclusion ◽

Second Stage ◽

Quality Of Governance ◽

Governance Quality

The objective of this paper is an attempt to explain the determinants of the lowest governance quality level in one of the communes of the Opolskie Province, Poland. The first stage of the research consisted in developing a commune-level governance quality index in order to measure the quality of governance in the 60 communes of the Opolskie Province. Subsequently, the commune with the lowest score in the index was qualified for the second stage of the research which was based on the extreme case method. The major conclusion from the research is that the commune leader's governance style which allowed him to hold on to power for many terms of office was responsible for generating low governance quality. Furthermore, the low quality of governance was not only the effect of the governance style but also the strategy aimed at remaining in the commune leader office for many terms.

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Assessment of ground water quality of lahar block, Bhind district in Madhya Pradesh

International Journal of Advanced Geosciences ◽

10.14419/ijag.v3i2.4949 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 3 (2) ◽

pp. 38 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Shashi Kant ◽

Y.V. Singh ◽

Lokesh Kumar Jat ◽

R. Meena ◽

S.N. Singh

Keyword(s):

Water Quality ◽

Groundwater Quality ◽

Ground Water ◽

Irrigation Water ◽

Water Quality Index ◽

Quality Index ◽

Madhya Pradesh ◽

Irrigation Water Quality ◽

Irrigation Water Quality Index

In sustainable groundwater study, it is necessary to assess the quality of groundwater in terms of irrigation purposes. The present study attempts to assess the groundwater quality through Irrigation Water Quality Index (IWQI) in hard-rock aquifer system and sustainable water use in Lahar block, Bhind of district, Madhya Pradesh, India. The quality of ground water in major part of the study area is generally good. In order to understand the shallow groundwater quality, the water samples were collected from 40 tube wells irrigation water. The primary physical and chemical parameters like potential Hydrogen (pH), Total Dissolved Solids (TDS), calcium (Ca2+), magnesium (Mg2+), sodium (Na+), potassium (K+), bicarbonate (HCO3-), carbonate (CO32-), chloride (Cl-), and nitrate (NO3-) were analyzed for (irrigation water quality index ) IWQI. The secondary parameters of irrigation groundwater quality indices such as Sodium Adsorption Ratio (SAR), Sodium Soluble Percentage (SSP), Residual Sodium Carbonate (RSC), Permeability Index (PI), and Kellies Ratio (KR) were also derived from the primary parameter for irrigation water quality index (IWQI). The IWQI was classified into excellent to unfit condition of groundwater quality based on their Water Quality Index (WQI). The IWQI (82.5%+15.0%) indicate that slightly unsustainable to good quality of ground water. Due to this quality deterioration of shallow aquifer, an immediate attestation requires for sustainable development.

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New Model for Measuring Job Quality: Developing an European Intrinsic Job Quality Index (EIJQI)

Social Indicators Research ◽

10.1007/s11205-021-02615-9 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

María Cascales Mira

Keyword(s):

Quality Index ◽

Relevant Information ◽

Job Quality ◽

Quantitative Methodology ◽

New Model ◽

Measurement Models ◽

European Working ◽

European Working Conditions Survey ◽

Indicator Systems

AbstractThis article deals with the development of a new model for measuring job quality based on the intrinsic components of work, an European Intrinsic Job Quality Index. The objective is measure job quality on the basis of the characteristics inherent to the labour activity itself, and not from its financial rewards. First, we review the existing literature on current measurement models and justify the need for an index of this nature. Secondly, we explain the fundamental methodological decisions adopted for the construction of the index, and present the descriptive model, the indicators that make up each dimension, and the empirical model. Finally, we present the index scores by European Union countries within the framework of institutional theories. In this work, we have used a quantitative methodology, based on social indicator systems, and it has been carried out mainly with data from the European Working Conditions Survey (2015). The fundamental contribution of this article is the construction of a new model for measuring the quality of work, robust, valid and reliable, which will allow us to monitor the intrinsic job quality of the member countries, and thus provide relevant information that contributes to the framework of public policies.

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Water-Quality Assessment of Lv-Tang River in Zhanjiang, China

Applied Mechanics and Materials ◽

10.4028/www.scientific.net/amm.295-298.755 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 295-298 ◽

pp. 755-758 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Ya Yun Liu ◽

Zhi Hong Li ◽

Xiao Jian Liang ◽

Yan Peng Lin ◽

Rong Hao Wu ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Water Quality ◽

Water Quality Index ◽

Quality Index ◽

Oxygen Demand ◽

Pollution Index ◽

Ammonia Nitrogen ◽

Single Parameter ◽

Water Quality Parameter ◽

National Quality

Based on the water quality investigation data of December in 2010, the water environment quality of Lv-tang River in Zhanjiang national urban wetland park was assessed using single water quality parameter model and integrated water quality index model. The results show that the water quality of Lv-tang River is worse than the national quality standards for Grade V. The water is polluted seriously. The main pollutants are total nitrogen (TN), ammonia nitrogen (NH3-N) and chemical oxygen demand CODCr with their average concentrations of 60.49 mg/L, 30.57 mg/L and 227.38mg/L, respectively. The averages of their single parameter pollution index are 30.25 , 19.79 and 8.74. The average of single parameter pollution index of the river is 8.23 which indicated that the river belongs to heavy pollution zone. The integrated water quality index was 22.5 showing that the river belongs to serious pollution zone.

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