RESPOND at the ECPR Seminar Series on (Anti)Corruption and Integrity
On 7 October 2026, Alice Mattoni, Scientific Coordinator of RESPOND and Associate Professor at the University of Bologna, will represent RESPOND – Rescuing Democracy from Political Corruption in Digital Societies at the ECPR Corruption & Integrity Research Perspectives seminar series.
The online seminar, titled “New Directions in Corruption and Anti-Corruption Research: Insights from Three Major European Projects”, will bring together researchers from three major ongoing European research projects to discuss emerging approaches and new directions in corruption and anti-corruption research.
📅 7 October 2026
🕒 15:00–16:00 CEST
💻 Online
🎤 Presenters: Alice Mattoni, Todor Galev and Emanuela Ceva
🎙️ Moderator: Ilona Wysmułek
During the seminar, Alice Mattoni will present RESPOND – Rescuing Democracy from Political Corruption in Digital Societies” and will focus in particular on the role of data in grassroots anti-corruption and pro-integrity initiatives.
Drawing on preliminary research with activists, journalists and civic tech practitioners working on anti-corruption across different countries, Alice will explore how data-related practices can contribute to transparency, accountability and integrity. These include making open data more usable, supporting whistleblowers as data producers, monitoring public and electoral spending, and using AI to support first-level data analysis.
The presentation will also address some of the challenges surrounding these practices, including missing or low-quality data, legal constraints, limited resources and tools that are not always designed with actual users in mind. At the same time, it will consider their potential to strengthen democratic participation and accountability by enabling citizens to access data, scrutinise power and contribute to more transparent societies.
The seminar will also feature presentations on BRIDGEGAP – Bridging the Gaps in Evidence, Regulation and Impact of Anticorruption Policies, presented by Todor Galev, and The Margins of Corruption, presented by Emanuela Ceva. Together, the three projects will offer complementary perspectives on how corruption is understood, addressed and contested, while creating space for discussion around new directions in anti-corruption research.
Participation is free and open to anyone interested in corruption research, but registration is required. Participants need a My ECPR account to register for the seminar series.