Studying Constituency Communication

Online constituency communication could be understood as a form of ‘representation mediated by communication’ where informal and unmediated forms of participation and citizen engagement sit, quite incongruously, alongside traditional forms of legitimation. The chapter is devoted to synthesizing the methodological approaches found in existing empirical research with a view to creating a general framework for further analysis. This is not intended to be exhaustive but is designed to give a sense of direction and to provide a research perspective. The literature explored here—although limited—has contributed to the development of such a framework, thus making possible a fruitful debate about how MPs have reacted to political changes and communication channelling via (new) media opportunities. It also includes some methodological notes to identify emergent aggregate patterns in party cohorts, thus allowing comparison across different levels.