Towards Inclusive Digital Democracy: A Conceptual Framework for Digital Citizen Participation

E-Participation, a subfield of Digital Government, has fallen short of initial expectations. Despite its potential to enhance democratic processes, it has struggled with inclusivity, particularly with respect to gender, class, and race. This paper proposes the concept of Digital Citizen Participation, which is contrasted with e-Participation research. It is argued that participatory processes can be improved by integrating diverse research disciplines, adopting user-centered design approaches that prioritize the citizen as a user, and incorporating technological innovations such as immersive systems. Thereby, the Digital Citizen Participation framework aims to provide theoretical guidance for public participation in the digital age.