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School of Law and Government
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Dr Fitzgerald features on academic advisory committee for Irish Independent’s Vote Smart tool

DCU Glasnevin Letters
The online quiz allows users to better understand the stances of candidates from all Irish parties on key issues in the run up to this month’s election. Dublin City University researcher Dr Fitzgerald worked with other academics, as well as media partners.

The Irish general election will take place on Friday 29th November. The VoteSmart tool was launched earlier this month in line with the election being called.

The quiz presents a series of statements linked to policy issues to which the user responds “agree” or “disagree.” The user can skip up to 17 statements, and they can also boost certain statements at the end of the quiz.

The formulation and selection of these statements was coordinated by Prof David Farrell, Chair of Politics at UCD, with input from the academic advisory committee. Alongside Dr Fitzgerald, this committee featured academics from UCD and Maynooth University.

The original version of the tool included the main parties, but a new updated version allows users to view their compatibility with independent candidates in their constituency.

The tool is a collaboration between the Irish Independent, digital media company Bits of Love, Prof Farrell and his team, and Prof Stefaan Walgrave of the University of Antwerp and Michiel Nuytemans of Tree Company. The original version of the tool developed by Prof Walgrave and Nuytemans has been in use in Belgium for the last twenty years.

They and Prof Farrell were invited by Mediahuis Ireland, the publisher of the Irish Independent, to develop an Irish version of the online tool.