Research as intervention: navigating ethical inclusion, solidarity, and activism in data justice research

Research as intervention: navigating ethical inclusion, solidarity, and activism in data justice research

This workshop has two parts: an open public panel (in-person and online) and a closed discussion workshop (in-person only). When registering for the event, please select whether you will be attending the open public panel and/or closed discussion workshop. Attendance for the closed workshop is capped at 20 people.

Date: Wednesday, March 6

Time: 9:00 – 14:00 (AEST)

Location: UNSW Kensington campus

John Goodsell Rm 101-102, with remote participation (panel discussion only) via Teams

Amidst growing evidence of the harms caused by ubiquitous datafication, research focused on data politics is now intersecting in meaningful ways with broader struggles for social justice. For some researchers, these politics form the backdrop of social inquiry. For others, research is a way of intervening in these politics, to create new agendas for data justice, often through sustained engagement with community organising and activism. This approach to research problematises the notion of the dispassionate scholar, who merely observes and analyses the objects of their critique. Instead, it commits researchers to a specific praxis of solidarity with the people and communities most directly affected by the harms and oppressions of datafication.

This workshop takes as its starting point the various tensions and obligations inherent in this research approach. Researchers occupy a unique position from which to engage in the politics of data justice, yet adopting a research praxis grounded in solidarity requires a careful navigation of complex ethical-political considerations and potential challenges. Invoking the idea of research as a form of intervention, this workshop explores what is required of researchers to engage ethically, responsibly, and productively with activist agendas that challenge various forms of algorithmic control exercised by government, corporations, and elites. How might critical social researchers learn from and contribute to activist responses to datafication? How do academics engage in technology research with minoritised communities without perpetuating colonial, extractivist practices? How can they explore the potential for empowerment among individuals often perceived as victims of data injustice, while still addressing systemic oppressions and inequalities? What role can creative and participatory methods play in research for data justice? 

These questions and more will be discussed in a one-day workshop for researchers. The workshop, co-hosted with the Data and Society AIMLab, forms part of a series of events organised by the ADM+S working group for inclusive, collaborative and participatory research design and practice.

Program

9.00 - 10.30: Public panel on ‘Research as intervention: navigating ethical inclusion, solidarity, and activism in data justice research’ (hybrid mode)

Panellists: Joanna Redden, Data Justice Lab/University of Western Ontario; Jackie Leach Scully, Disability Innovation Institute, ADM+S/ UNSW; Meg Young, Data and Society; Zahra Stardust, ADM+S/Queensland University of Technology; Anjalee de Silva, ADM+S/University of Melbourne.

Chair: Georgia van Toorn (UNSW, ADM+S)

10.30 - 11.00 Morning tea break

11.00 - 13.00: Small group discussion (in person)

Facilitated by Thao Phan (Monash, ADM+S)

13:00 - 14:00: Lunch (catered)

Note: ADM+S students and ECRs: Please contact your ADM+S node leader and administrator to seek travel support as a first step. However, if travel support is not available through your node, please contact Manager, Research Training and Development Sally Storey. Limited support may be available through ADM+S central but is not guaranteed.