Most of us have participated in some sort of community group: maybe a book club, a religious organization, or a more formal nonprofit community. These experiences might vary widely in terms of size, formality, and function, but they all serve the same purpose of creating community over a shared belief, passion, value, or goal.
But what exactly goes on when people come together in such communities? The only way to know (as Hamilton might remind us) is to be in the room where they happen.
At The Observing Civic Engagement Lab, we are conducting exactly this kind of research.
As of February 2025, The Observing Civic Engagement Lab at Indiana University is actively observing more than 30 organizations in Bloomington and has about 25 research assistants (RAs). These RAs conduct field work through data collection on what happens inside what we call civil society organizations. Such groups include nonprofit organizations, community clubs, and religious organizations – places where people gather under common interests or beliefs.
How do we do this kind of research?
Our RAs observe organizations, equipped with tablets, thermometers, laser distance measurers, and a codebook. On their tablets, RAs have a survey they use to capture data as well as take field notes. Our observers act like flies on the wall while observing CSOs.
We collect a wide range of data, including…
- Where a meeting happens
- What the meeting space looks and feels like
- How many people are there
- What kind of activities that people engage in
- How often people interact with each other
- How people talk to each other
- How people make collective decisions
- What plans people make for the future
…and several others features of the meetings.
Our novel research methods have given us a way to quantify these aspects (and more!) of civil society organizations. Check back often to see what we find!
The Observing Civic Engagement Lab is a complicated undertaking. We’ve been generously supported with research grants from AmeriCorps, the Spencer Foundation, the O’Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs, the Lilly Family School of Philanthropy, Indiana University’s Social Sciences Research Funding Program, and Indiana University’s Institute for Advanced Study.