Crowdsourcing and Online Dispute Resolution (cODR)
The Law Lab is exploring ways in which the Internet enables collaboration as a driver of innovation. In this context, we are seeking to understand what role dispute resolution mechanisms — as elements of an emerging digital infrastructure — may play. An initial research effort within this framework will seek to understand how disputes, particularly in collaborative online spaces, can be managed in better ways.
The current tools of online dispute resolution (ODR) enable a range of approaches. But as online interactions grow larger and more complex, there is a need for more efficient and effective ways of mitigating conflict. We are currently investigating the possibility of applying cooperative models to dispute resolution. Can it be “crowdsourced”? The research priorities are to understand the conceptual issues involved in cooperative dispute resolution, imagine the design of such a platform, and test it in a range of use cases.
Workshop: Theoretical Aspects of Crowd Sourced ODR
On July 8, 2009, the Law Lab hosted a workshop in collaboration with the eCitizen Foundation. The meeting focused on exploring the scope and capabilities of crowd-sourced online dispute resolution (ODR). The participants discussed diverse approaches to ODR research (examining the legal, policy, social, administrative, business, technical and other requirements of these interactions), and considered the development of a crowd-sourced online dispute resolution tool and pilot for academic analysis and evaluation
