This section of the Field Guide collects different resources to help you learn more about civic tech. You’ll find regular coverage of the field from newsletters, blogs, news sites, and podcasts.
You’ll also see more permanent media like books, films, and peer-reviewed research. And we also track other catalogs, like the Field Guide, in case you want to narrow in on a specific subcategory or geographic region.
As always, you can submit new projects for inclusion.
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Ongoing coverage
Podcasts covering the civic technology field that especially seek to raise awareness of the work being done by governments, organizations, and movements.
Newsletters that will keep you informed about news, announcements, stories, discussions, analysis, resources, and new opportunities related to civic tech.
A directory of catalogs, collections, and galleries of resources aimed at strengthening the civic tech ecosystem. You can learn about the wide array of initiatives that recognize the role of technology in improving the way citizens relate to their governments.
News platforms and publications about civic tech, civic innovation, collaborative tools and participation. Includes mainstream coverage of civic tech projects, which we also list on the projects’ individual entries wherever possible.
Research investigating the relations between technology and civic engagement and other challenges around concepts like citizenship, participation, and democracy.
- Research and policy centers, usually housed at larger academic institutions, produce ongoing research and investigation into the field.
- Peer-reviewed research publications.
- Journals chronicle peer-reviewed research in the field. This list includes dedicated civic tech journals and civic tech’s appearance in more mainstream scholarly publications.
- Academic programs
- Courses: Virtual and face-to-face training spaces that explore different concepts, practices, methodologies, and tools of the civic tech field.
- PhD programs.
- Degree programs are full academic programs in civic tech or related areas.
- Public Interest Tech: A new name for the field introduced by the Ford Foundation, Public Interest Tech “is an emerging scholarly and professional field that is defined by the deployment of technological expertise in service of the common good, often with a focus on under-resourced communities and needs.” (definition from Cornell Tech).
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Trainings
Do you want to learn how to use data to meet a challenge in your community? Are you interested in understanding more about concepts like power or citizen engagement? Check out these workshops and participate in the discussion.
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Publications
A library of key books exploring different issues like how civic tech can be used to meet challenges in cities, how to increase democratic participation, or ethical considerations.
Pop some popcorn! Films and video programs about civic tech, on TV, in theaters, or online.
Stories are the primary vehicle through which we share values. Creative fiction projects embed civic literacy and engagement right into their stories. This section includes TV programs that educate people about their legal rights and documentaries and novels that explore social justice.
Projects employing speculative, forward-looking perspectives to envision what the future could look like, often to move us toward closer to an ideal state or to warn us away from a dystopia.
Reading lists are compilations of suggested or required readings, such as articles and essays, that help the reader get up to speed with a given topic.
Online interactive guides and multimedia resources to experience a specific event, story, site or problem. Through a wide range of resources like audios, videos, maps, and pictures and also emerging technologies like virtual reality and augmented reality, you will be guided through a series of scenarios to analyze and explore different issues related to civic tech. You can also find information about real walks and tours.
Civic tech reports that analyze different focuses within the civic technology space.