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Translating Critical Data and Algorithm Studies into Impact

Weizenbaum researchers Jana Pannier and Tianling Yang report on the challenges of communicating digital research findings and the potentials of collaborating with those affected by big data technologies.

How can digital researchers communicate their findings outside of academia in a meaningful way? How can we better collaborate across different groups, with policymakers and those affected by big data technologies? Weizenbaum researchers Jana Pannier and Tianling Yang were part of an interdisciplinary workshop that addressed the potentials and challenges of conducting and communicating research outside of your own bubble.

Critical data and algorithm studies are interdisciplinary research fields that attend to the social implications of digital technologies that are increasingly introduced to various spheres in our societies. They oftentimes underline the need to take into more in-depth consideration the social groups affected by datafication and automation processes, and to focus on their perspectives and experiences. The interdisciplinary workshop ‘Translating Critical Data and Algorithm Studies into Impact’ hosted at the University of Copenhagen in August 2024, addressed these central questions on the role of critical data and algorithm studies in society, and Weizenbaum Institute researchers Jana Pannier and Tianling Yang were a part of it.

‘How could researchers communicate their findings to audiences outside of academia in a meaningful way? How can we collaborate across academia, the private sector, and the public sector and generate a positive impact in different spheres of society?’ Those were the initial questions going into the workshop. It brought together a group of researchers, science journalists, and professionals from think tanks and NGOs from various countries and disciplines. Beside several insightful keynote speeches from researchers, including Jo Bates (Professor of Data and Society at the Information School, University of Sheffield), Doris Allhutter (senior scientist at the Institute of Technology Assessment, Austrian Academy of Sciences), and Gülşen Güler (researcher, data activist, and data literacy consultant), the workshop aimed at facilitating spaces to share experiences and perspectives, discuss challenges and concerns, provide mutual advice and support, and to initiate a network and platform for exchange and collaboration.

The workshop discussions centered on the practicalities, contexts, and implications of critical data and algorithm studies in practice, for instance on research collaborations and approaches for communicating research to the public. Furthermore, the discussions explored the particularities of different disciplines and research cultures. Across these themes, the workshop sessions placed a focus on the different actor groups involved in and affected by digital technologies, including citizens, policymakers, and practitioners.

Regarding research collaborations, the discussions focused for instance on the potentials and particularities of such research formats with different actor groups, including the public sector, industry, and civil society. This includes the possibilities of field access, allowing to study the dynamics of datafication processes in more empirical depth and to more thoroughly include the perspectives of the social groups involved in and affected by such processes into research. Working with diverse actors and stakeholders also requires in-depth reflection not only on how to conceive and measure impact, but also on researchers’ own positionality in the interactions and broader discourses, ensuring they do not inadvertently reinforce the systems they aim to change. At the same time, the intricacies of collaborative research settings should be taken into consideration, for instance to define the process of publishing research in collaboration with research partners in concrete terms and before a project’s start. Moreover, in science communication, researchers should use clear and accessible language and adjust the content to suit their audiences. Connecting their work to recent and relevant events can also provide an interesting angle to engage researchers.

Furthermore, the workshop reflected on norms and conventions in research across different disciplines and research cultures, such as the role of critique in research. Finally, the discussions centered on reflections on the performativity of research designs, as decisions on research questions, conceptual perspectives, analytical sensibilities, and empirical focuses can highlight social implications and actor groups, both in academic debates and beyond, and can thereby contribute to creating positive impact through research.

The workshop was organized by Lisa Reutter, postdoc at the Center for Tracking and Society of Copenhagen University and Itzelle Medina Perea, lecturer at the Information School of Sheffield University. The workshop program and an introduction of invited speakers can be found here.