About the Book
The influence of austerity measures and neoliberal ideologies has sparked discussions about the relevance and value of academic institutions, particularly in the humanities and social sciences. Universities are redirecting academic focus towards greater societal engagement. This book argues that academia has much to gain by moving beyond its institutional walls, in our case, by doing data work with stakeholders and civil society. This collaborative work benefits citizens in our democratic, open societies and advances our knowledge economies.
Collaborative Research in the Datafied Society offers a combination of theoretical insights, practical methodologies, and case studies, showcasing the power of collaborative research with stakeholders across diverse communities and civil society to tackle challenges that address pressing issues stemming from data practices and social justice issues. Taken together, the book’s chapters formulate relevant concepts for grounding societally engaged research in the theories and methodologies from different disciplines. In addition, the book informs university administrators and research directors how to advance academia effectively towards mutual knowledge transfer with societal sectors.
Table of Contents:
List of Figures, Acknowledgements, Foreword: The Power of Collaborative Explorations - Minna Ruckenstein, Part I - Theory and Position Papers, Chapter 1: Making a Difference: The Epistemic Value of Collaborative Research in a Datafied Society - Mirko Tobias Schäfer, Karin van Es, and Tracey P. Lauriault, Chapter 2: Performing Critical Data Studies from the Inside: Working with Government to Change Data Regimes - Rob Kitchin, Chapter 3: Confronting Politicized Research: The Case for Reflexive Neutrality - René König, Payal Arora, and Usha Raman, Chapter 4: Inside Datafication: Entrepreneurial Research for Investigating Emerging Data Practices - Mirko Tobias Schäfer, Chapter 5: Open Government Partnership (OGP): Balancing Expertise, Practice, and the Academy - Mary Francoli and Daniel J. Paré, Chapter 6: The Challenge of Addressing Subjectivities through Participatory Action Research on Datafication - Katherine Reilly and Maria Julia Morales, Part II &–Case Studies, Chapter 7: Community Responses to Family Violence Policy: A Public Sector Collaboration - Anthony McCosker, Jane Farmer, and Arexou Soltani Panah, Chapter 8: Data Against Feminicide: The Process and Impact of Co-designing Digital Research Tools - Helena Suárez Val, Catherine D'Ignazio, and Silvana Fumega, Chapter 9: The Fairwork Project: Promoting Good Labor Practices in the Digital Platform Economy through Action Research - Tatiana López, Funda Ustek-Spilda, Patrick Feuerstein, Fabian Ferrari, and Mark Graham, Chapter 10: Advancing Equity through Data Practices: A Transformative Model for Organizational Change - Muna Osman and Hindia Mohamoud, Chapter 11: Advancing Critical Data Literacy through Justice-Focused Research: A Case Study of the Occupational Hazards of Mass Incarceration - Savannah Hunter, Lindsay Poirier, and Nicholas Shapiro, Chapter 12: Empowering Citizenship Through Academic Practices: The Case Study of Amazonian Civic Media - Acilon H. Cavalcante and Ana Claudia Duarte Cardoso, Chapter 13: Speculative Data Infrastructures: Prototyping a Public Database on Corporate Tax Avoidance - Jonathan W. Y. Gray, Chapter 14: The Data Workplace: Collaborative Learning about Datafication in Local Government - Krista Ettlinger, Mirko Tobias Schäfer, Albert Meijer, and Martiene Branderhorst, Chapter 15: You Will Be Assimilated: Reflections on Ethnographic Fieldwork on Algorithmic Systems - Daan Kolkman, Chapter 16: Lessons Learned from The eQuality Project: Privacy and Equality for Youth in Networked Spaces - Valerie Steeves, Afterword - Ben Peters, Bibliography, Index.
About the Author :
Mirko Tobias Schäfer is Associate Professor of AI, Data & Society at Utrecht University’s research area 'Governing the Digital Society' and the Department for Information and Computing Sciences. Mirko is co-founder and Sciences lead of the Data School. He studies the datafication of public management and engages in the development of responsible and accountable AI and data practices. Karin van Es is Associate Professor of Media and Culture Studies and project lead Humanities at Data School, both at Utrecht University. Tracey P. Lauriault is Associate Professor, Critical Media and Big Data and board member of the Institute for Data Science at Carleton University in Canada. As a data and technological citizen, she examines data and technological systems to make them more just, inclusive, equitable and environmentally sustainable.
Review :
Datafication research into this important phenomenon., Nick Couldry, Professor of Media, Communications and Social Theory, London School of Economics and Political Science,
Thinking and doing, mens et manus…. this provocative collection of perspectives, methods, theories, and case studies on data and society is above all a testament to the power of collaborative, societally-engaged, and applied research. The plurality of voices and experiences gathered in these pages demonstrate the assertion that the more complex the problem, the more crucial are collaborative solutions., William Uricchio, Emeritus Professor of Comparative Media Studies, Massachusetts Institute of Technology,
Schäfer, van Es and Lauriault have brought together an impressive collection of authors, case studies and data practices. Separately and together, the chapters provide theoretical inspiration and practical advice to help the rest of us engage in meaningful collaborations across disciplines and beyond the confines of the university., Sally Wyatt, Professor of Digital Cultures, Maastricht University,
A deep dive into dynamics, challenges and urgency of collaborative research in the datafied society, this critical collection showcases how academia and society jointly can drive impactful change. It is an essential reading for anyone willing to engage in research that matters., Stefania Milan, Professor of Critical Data Studies, University of Amsterdam and European University Institute.
