What is Critical Data Studies?
Critical Data Studies (CDS), is an interdisciplinary field that addresses the ethical, legal, socio-cultural, epistemological and political aspects of data science, big data and digital infrastructure. While there are many foundational texts which inform or offer relevant theorizations for the critical study of data, this list includes readings and works which must do the following:
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Focus on the study of data, information, code, algorithms, science, technology, and/or digital platforms, networks, and infrastructures
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Cite and Engage with justice oriented critical frameworks and/or analyses of power, such as feminist theory, queer theory, intersectionality, discourse/ideology, critical race theories, indigenous studies, disability studies, carceral studies, etc
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Utilize collaborative or interdisciplinary frameworks, methods, and/or epistemologies in the research or writing project
Teach-in Areas of Inquiry
Data Ethics, Research, and Rights: By analyzing who is disproportionately impacted by this return to campus and how the university plans to address data privacy when it comes to the solicitation and collection of health information from students, faculty, and staff.
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What are the expectations of exposing our health information and data and how do we hold the university accountable for data collection and potential discrimination based on that data?
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How can we include the critical legacies of disability studies in our understanding of the collection of health data during the COVID-19 pandemic?
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As more race/ethnicity data comes out showing the disproportionate impact that COVID-19 is having on communities of color, how does the university plan to support the health and well-being of faculty, staff, and students from underrepresented communities moving forward?
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How does austerity in higher education and concerns over affordability shape how the university engages in crisis management and solution development around COVID-19?
Science, Technology, and the Racial-Colonial Legacies of Higher Ed: In what ways does university research participate in racial injustice, particularly concerning the development of technologies, scientific discourses, and data-driven practices that disproportionately harm people of color?
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What linkages are there between the racial-colonial history of public universities and their present relationship to racial inequality?
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What opportunities are there within the academy to work in solidarity with movements for justice-oriented tech design?
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How might we counter the underfunding of critical approaches to technology that center the voices and experiences of people of color, and the institutional marginalization of work on racial injustice across disciplines more broadly?
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In what ways is the lack of diversity in STEM fields, as well as a lack of engagement with interdisciplinary and collaborative methods, tied to the prevalence of discriminatory technologies?
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In what ways do university student data collection practices around recruitment and retention risk reproducing racial inequality?
Critical Digital Pedagogy: As Purdue University also values online education, What does it mean to engage to create resources which focus on a critical digital pedagogy?
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How might Critical Data Studies collective members and participants critique the commitment to leading in online education?
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What do we imagine a Virtual Semester might look like for faculty/staff/students?
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How can we integrate the concepts of data feminism, justice oriented data, and/or data for Black lives into our curriculum and the way that we teach?
See Related Texts