Traditionally, the Data Studies group gathers every Monday 9AM at La Touche on Streatham Campus, together with IDSAI's data governance, for discussions as well as occasional readings (detailed below). Anybody interested in these topics is cordially invited to come along, if you happen to be on campus!
While the Covid19 pandemic lasts (and maybe longer as we've found it convenient with many of us working away), sessions are over Zoom instead (email to get sign-in details), but still Mondays 9:00–10:00AM (UK time).
The majority of sessions are devoted to a different group member leading discussion on their current area of work, so that the whole group keeps informed on all aspects of the Exeter data studies research. Most of the remaining sessions are lead by visiting researchers to discuss their work.
Note that some of the readings are author’s manuscripts that are kindly shared with the reading group; please get in touch with
Possible topics for Summer 2024 term:
- Niccolo Tempini on the history of participatory web
- Tim Williams and data science colleagues on strategies for smart literature reviews
2024
- 10 June
- TBD
- 3 June
- TBD
- 27 May
- TBD
- 20 May
- TBD
- 13 May
- Emma Cavazzoni on data collecting devices and their impact on research
- 29 April
- Sabina Leonelli together with Stephan Güttinger, Suchith Anand and Kathryn Bailey, introducing the Ethical Data Initiative (EDI)
- 25 March
- Alex Mussgnug and Sabina Leonelli on big data for development
- 18 March
- James Anthony-Edwards and Sabina Leonelli on latest challenges in Open Access implementation
- 11 March
- Cassandra Bird on the role of statistics in ethical AI
- 4 March
- Avon Huxor on ‘playing around’ with AI tools to explore new applications
- 26 February
- Sophia Worth (and colleagues?) on Open Data Institute current activities and collaborative prospects
- 19 February
- Hugh Williamson on data integration in farms
- 12 February
- Yoshinari Yoshida on emergent and ongoing challenge for the dataecosystem in the life sciences
- 5 February
- Mariana Vitti Rodriguez on automation in abductive reasoning for NLP
- 29 January
- Ana Jaramillo on strategies for AI bias mitigation
- 22 January
- Winter catchup, open discussion
2023
- 11 December
- Chris Playford on tracking ‘missing voices’ and inequities in data representation.
Christmas session! Breakfast is provided (seminar room, Byrne House) - 4 December
- Fiona Fidler, Elliot Gould and Hannah Fraser (University of Melbourne) on reproducibility debates and their widely publicized results comparing the reproducibility of ecology studies
- 27 November
- Niccolo Tempini on latest forms of data governance, especially data cooperatives
- 13 November
- Sabina Leonelli and Nathanael Sheehan on latest forms of data governance, particularly sustainability models for data intermediaries (see this recent EU report)
- 6 November
- No ’crunch, but Egenis workshop on philosophy of AI & digital infrastructures
- 30 October
- Rose Trappes on evaluating citizen science data quality
- 23 October
- Avon Huxor on dynamic development of XAI tools (ChatGTP and others)
- 16 October
- Stephan Güttinger on datification in the sciences
- 9 October
- Catch-up on the past summer, introduction of new faces and agenda for the coming term
- 12 June
- Hybrid/in-person end-of-year breakfast celebration in the Byrne House seminar room (9–10:30; muffins and coffee provided). Featuring Bertrand Nortier on NLP and the changing meaning of words.
- 5 June
- Arthur Vandervoort on Gender disaggregation in urban mobility data
- 22 May
- Marco Campenni on Computational models to understand ecology and evolution of social institutions
- 15 May
- Benno Simmons on Biodiversity and data science
- 24 April
- In-person (LSI building), 11&ndash13h(!): Launch of the Health Data Analytics initiative
- 27 March
- Bertrand Nortier on NLP and the changing meaning of words
- 20 March
- (No Crunch; UCU strike)
- 13 March
- Stephan Güttinger on Transparency in research
- 6 March
- Federico Botta and Chris Playford on the management and use of civil service administrative data
- 27 February
- James Anthony-Edwards on the future of OA publishing
- 20 February
- Cassandra Bird on Bayesian modelling and ethical AI
- 13 February
- Michael Dunne on uncertainty quantification
- 6 February
- Ana Jaramillo on quantifying inequity and diversity in research
- 30 January
- Josh Redmond on sharing sensitive satellite imaging
- 23 January
- Avon Huxor on The challenges of ChatGPT for academic teaching and assessment
- 16 January
- Catch-up meeting to discuss novel/upcoming interests in the group and settle on a schedule for the term
2022
- 12 December
- Celso Neto on racial categories in data classification (case study: ancestry databases)
- 5 December
- Nathanael Sheehan on concerns around open data sharing (case study: COVID 19 genomic data)
- 28 November
- Silvia Milano on the future of recommender systems (case study: public service, upcoming BBC/Ada Lovelace report)
- 21 November
- Sabina Leonelli (and TBA) on latest twists in the reproducibility debate and the university reproducibility network
- 14 November
- Ana Beduschi (and TBA) on latest developments in EU data-relevant legislation
- 7 November
- Kirsten Walsh on experiential knowledge / witness statements and what constitutes data and/or evidence (case study: early modern period)
- 31 October
- Lizzy Williamson on legacy metadata and maintaining historical archives (case study: early modern archives)
- 24 October
- (No crunch, break for half-term)
- 17 October
- Chris Playford on researching inequity (case study: administrative data linkage)
- 10 October
- Chico Camargo on different perceptions of data as measurement in data science and in other domains
- 3 October
- Federica Bocchi on relationship between measurements and data (case study: biodiversity)
- 26 September
- Catch-up, and proposals of topics for the coming term
- 28 March
- Rose Trappes on open science
- 21 March
- Metin Uzun on the regulatory policy on AI and biometric system
- 14 March
- Silvia Milano on her work in progress on fairness recommendation systems
- 7 March
- Celso Neto on the widespread concept of scaffold in biology — is it more than a suggestive metaphor?
- 28 February
- James Anthony-Edwards on the role of open resources in education
- 21 February
- Federico Botta on using data science for policy making in the UK government
- 14 February
- Denise Hossom on classification practices in conservation and domestication
- 7 February
- Chico Camargo on the data science of touchy subjects: language, algorithms, and censorship.
- 31 January
- Esther Reed: "Can / should AI-enabled machines make moral / ethical decisions? Conversation to include discussion of religious and diverse cultural voices in this public debate"
- 24 January
- Adrian Currie on how the past might differ from the present, and the epistemic consequences of those differences.
- 17 January
- Kirsten Walsh on replication and reliability in Newton’s prism experiments; and Stephan Guttinger on his BSPS session.
- 10 January
- Catch up and introduction of new participants
2021
- 6 December
- Brian Rappert on public engagement through work with museums
- 29 November
- Hugh Williamson on democratic concerns raised by model integration for environmental interventions
- 22 November
- Kevin Donkers on uses of data to represent/voice marginalized farmers
- 15 November
- Elizabeth Williamson on exclusions and gaps in digital footprint stored in cultural archives
- 8 November
- Adrian Currie and Andra Meneganzin on demographic data driving research in the historical sciences
- 1 November
- Stephan Guttinger on data reliability and quality checks in laboratory settings
- 25 October
- Nathanael Sheehan on open data use in the private sector
- 18 October
- Sabina Leonelli on the shift away from strong data protection in the UK
- 11 October
- Avon Huxor on insights from media studies on perceptions of AI
- 4 October
- Ana Beduschi and Oliver James, on the UK’s national AI Strategy
- 27 September
- Catch-up and introduction of new faces, and setting agenda for this term. Bring your proposals for discussion!
- 14 June
- In-person event! With Ernesto Schwarz-Marin on experiences with gaming as a way into data studies, and Richard Everson and Tim Dodwell on personal data re-use in urban planning.
- 7 June
- Timothy Lang on the power of social media and the implications of recent changes in Terms and Conditions of Agreement to their use (e.g WhatsUp, Google services)
- 31 May
- (No crunch, bank holiday)
- 24 May
- Chico Camargo on Public opinion, social information, and what people are thinking about
- 17 May
- Ana Beduschi — follow-up discussion on immunity passports
- 10 May
- Ozlem Yilmaz on plant data
- 3 May
- (No crunch, bank holiday)
- 26 April
- Margaret Bolton on cultural aspects of biological concepts used as keywords to collect and analyse biodiversity data
- 22 March
- Georgina Wood on the development of the South-West Institute for Technology
- 15 March
- Cassandra Bird on methods to integrate socio-ethical considerations into mathematical modelling
- 8 March
- Ana Beduschi on the Digital Services Act
- 1 March
- Arely Cruz-Santiago on how to frame evidence-based policy reports vis-a-vis predetermined political agendas
- 22 February
- Arthur Vandervoort on new developments in data-centric grassroots advocacy
- 15 February
- Peter Dahlin on issues of access and re-use of large datasets found online, including how cloud/web services manage data access and what ethical and social implications this may have
- 8 February
- Mohsen Mosleh on the role of data vis-a-vis the relation between misinformation and democracy [part 2]
- 1 February
- Jason Reifler on the role of data vis-a-vis the relation between misinformation and democracy [part 1]
- 25 January
- Sabina Leonelli on the "Great Reset” position statement of the World Economic Forum
- 18 January
- Research updates from all team members
2020
- 7 December
- James Anthony-Edwards on the university Data Management Roadmap
- 30 November
- Hugh Williamson on PlantDBMap and possible use of data on data infrastructure histories
- 23 November
- Jane Elliott on gender and university employment
- 16 November
- Arthur Vandervoort on gendered analysis of social media data
- 9 November
- Timothy Lam on interdisciplinarity in data science
- 2 November
- Ernesto Schwarz-Marin on the use of documentaries to raise public consciousness of data governance in social media (and elsewhere)
- 26 October
- Brian Rappert on going beyond transparency in data sharing and governance
- 19 October
- Jane Elliott & Sabina Leonelli introducing a discussion on the new UK Data Strategy
- 12 October
- Ana Beduschi on immunity passports for COVID
- 5 October
- First meeting of the year: Catching up and planning a schedule for the term. Make sure you raise the topics you want to see discussed!
- 15 June
- Rosa Barciela (MET Office lead on Human Data) — last Crunch of the academic year
- 8 June
- Timothy Lam discussion
- 1 June
- Ozlem Yilmaz discussion
- 18 May
- Zhimin Xiao discussion
- 11 May
- Dana Wilson-Kovacs discussion
- 4 May
- (No crunch, bank holiday)
- 27 April
- Sabina Leonelli on data ethics in time of crisis
- 20 April
- Peter Dahlin discussion
- 23 March
- Dana Wilson-Kovacs discussion. [COVID-19!]
- 16 March
- Peter Dahlin discussion.[COVID-19!]
- 9 March
- Ozlem Yilmaz discussion. [Planned industrial action!]
- 2 March
- TBD [Planned industrial action!]
- 24 February
- TBD [Planned industrial action!]
- 10 February
- Caitlin Wylie discussion.
- 3 February
- Arely Cruz-Santiago discussion.
- 27 January
- Edward Skidelsky discussion.
- 20 January
- Ernesto Schwarz-Marin discussion.
- 13 January
- Edmond Awad discussion.
2019
- 2 December
- Arthur Vandervoort discussion.
- 25 November
- Ernesto Schwarz-Marin discussion.
- 18 November
- Sabina Leonelli discussion.
- 11 November
- Hugh Williamson discussion.
- 4 November
- Niccolò Tempini discussion.
- 28 October
- James Anthony-Edwards discussion.
- 14 October
- Kirsten Walsh discussion.
- 7 October
- Lorien Jasny draft paper: What should be some standards for reporting back to individuals about data collected on them?
- 30 September
- Adrian Currie draft presentation: Technology, Zombie-Data and the Open-Endedness of Historical Science.
- 23 September
- Decide reading schedule for the year, plus visitor: Prof. Anne Beaulieu.
- 10 June
- Reading: Etienne S. Benson (2017). A Centrifuge of Calculation: Managing Data and Enthusiasm in Early Twentieth-Century Bird Banding. Osiris, 32(1): 286–306.
- 3 June
- Cancelled!Reading: Mirjam Brusius (2017). The Field in the Museum: Puzzling Out Babylon in Berlin. Osiris,32(1): 264–285.
- 20 May
- Reading: W. Patrick McCray (2017). The Biggest Data of All: Making and Sharing a Digital Universe. Osiris, 32(1): 243–263.
- 13 May
- Visit by Robert Challen and Krasimira Tsaneva-Atanasova (Prof. of Maths), to discuss their paper on safety of health AI applications:
Robert Challen Et al (2018). Artificial intelligence, bias, and clinical safety. BMJ Quality & Safety, 28(3): 231–237. - 6 May
- Reading1: David Sepkoski (2017). The Database before the Computer? Osiris, 32(1): 175–201.
- Reading2: Hallam Stevens (2017). A Feeling for the Algorithm: Working Knowledge and Big Data in Biology. Osiris, 32(1): 51–174.
- 25 March
- Reading: Christine von Oertzen (2017). Machineries of Data Power: Manual versus Mechanical Census Compilation in Nineteenth-Century Europe. Osiris, 32(1): 129–150.
- 18 March
- No Data Crunch.
- 11 March
- Reading: Staffan Müller-Wille (2017). Names and Numbers: “Data” in Classical Natural History, 1758–1859. Osiris, 32(1): 109–128.
- 4 March
- Reading: Dan Bouk (2017). The History and Political Economy of Personal Data over the Last Two Centuries in Three Acts. Osiris, 32(1): 85–106.
- 25 February
- Reading: Markus Friedrich (2017). Genealogy as Archive-Driven Research Enterprise in Early Modern Europe. Osiris, 32(1): 65–84.
- 11 February
- Reading: Joanna Radin (2017). "Digital Natives": How Meidical and Indigenous Histories Matter for Big Data. Osiris, 32(1): 43–63.
- 4 February
- Reading: Rebecca Lemov (2017). Anthropology's Most Documented Man, Ca. 1947: A Prefiguration of Big Data from the Big Social Science Era. Osiris, 32(1): 21–42.
2018
- 10 December
- TBA.
- 3 December
- TBA.
- 26 November
- TBA.
- 19 November
- Reading: Sabina‘s introduction to the Data Journeys book.
- 12 November
- TBA.
- 5 November
- TBA (PSA/HSS in Seattle — Sabina absent).
- 29 October
- Reading: Adrian’ Manifesto paper.
- 22 October
- Discussion on data ‘expertise’ and data provenance (relation between scientific and other sources).
- 15 October
- Discussion on justice/fairness.
- 8 October
- Discussion on methods.
- 1 October
- Breakfast without reading.
2017
- 7 December
- Breakfast without reading.
- 30 November
- Breakfast without reading.
- 23 November
- Breakfast without reading.
- 16 November
- Discussion of Data Journeys book chapter drafts.
- 9 November
- Breakfast without reading.
- 26 October
- Breakfast without reading.
- 19 October
- Sabina Leonelli and Niccolò Tempini, draft Where Health and Environment Meet: Geolocation as Invariance Strategy for Integrating Diverse Data Sources.
- 12 October
- Breakfast without reading.
- 5 October
- Breakfast without reading.
- 28 September
- Breakfast without reading.
- 21 September
- Breakfast without reading.
- 22 June
- Sandra Mitchell. Biological Complexity and Integrative Pluralism. Chapters TBA.
- 1 June
- Niccolò Tempini and David Teira’s (joint) early chapter draft for data journeys book.
- Niccolò Tempini’s (other) early chapter draft for data journeys book.
- 25 May
- Breakfast without reading.
- 11 May
- Brian Rappert’s early chapter draft for data journeys book.
- Sabina Leonelli’s early chapter draft for data journeys book.
- 4 May
- Xan Chacko (2017). Rendering Life Bankable (dissertation chapter; email
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for a draft PDF). - 20 April
- Robert Chapman and Alison Wylie. Evidential Reasoning in Archaeology. Chapters: Introduction, Chapter 3, and Conclusion.
- 30 March
- Adrian Currie Method Pluralism, Method Mismatch, and Method Bias.
- 23 March
- Staffan Müller-Wille’s early chapter draft for data journeys book.
- 16 March
- Broadbent, Alex. Philosophy of Epidemiology. Chapters 2 & 10.
- 23 February
- Breakfast without reading, exceptionally starting at 10am.
- 9 February
- Breakfast without reading.
2016
- 15 December
- Breakfast without reading.
- 24 November
- Solomon, M. (2015). (Chapter 1) Introduction: Beyond the Art and Science of Medicine & (Chapter 7) What is Translational Medicine? In: Solomon, M., Making Medical Knowledge. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
- 10 November
- Ribes, D. & Polk, J.B. (2015). Organizing for Ontological Change: The Kernel of an AIDS Research Infrastructure. Social Studies of Science, 45(2): 214–241. doi: 10.1177/0306312714558136.
Ribes, D. & Polk, J.B. (2014). Flexibility Relative to What? Change to Research Infrastructure. Journal of the Association for Information Systems, 15(5): 287–305. - 21 October [Friday!]
- Morgan, M. S. (2014). Resituating Knowledge: Generic Strategies and Case Studies. Philosophy of Science, 81(5): 1012–1024.
- 13 October
- Breakfast without reading.
- 6 October
- Eschenfelder, K.R. & Shankar, K. (2016). Designing Sustainable Data Archives: Comparing Sustainability Frameworks. doi: 10.9776/16243.
Ostrom, E., Hess, C. (2011). A Framework for Analyzing the Knowledge Commons. In: Hess and Ostrom (Eds.) Understanding Knowledge as a Commons. Cambridge MA: MIT Press, pp. 41–82. (Get a fresher copy from Niccolò, link is 2005 draft.) - 7 July
- Chat with our guest (and temporary Egenis fellow) Richard Carter.
- 30 June
- Discussion without reading.
- 23 June
- Reading TBA.
- 9 June
- Discussion without reading.
- 2 June
- Reading TBA.
- 19 May
- Discussion without reading.
- 12 May
- Eschenfelder, K.R. & Shankar, K. (2016). Designing Sustainable Data Archives: Comparing Sustainability Frameworks. IConference 2016 Proceedings, pp 1–7.
- Shankar, K., Eschenfelder, K. R., & Downey, G. (forthcoming). Studying the History of Social Science Data Archives as Knowledge Infrastructure. Science and Technology Studies.
- 5 May
- Discussion without reading.
- 28 April
- Morgan, M.S. (2014). Resituating Knowledge: Generic Strategies and Case Studies. Philosophy of Science, 81(5), 1012–1024.
- 14 April
- Chat with our visitors Inge De Bal, Phyllis Illari, Julia Sánchez-Dorado and David Teira.
- 24 March
- Chat with our visitor Najko Jahn.
- 17 March
- Reiss, J. (2015). A Pragmatist Theory of Evidence. Philosophy of Science 82(3): 341-362.
- 10 March
- Discussion without reading.
- 3 March
- Rosenberg, D. (2013). Data Before the Fact. In: Gitelman, L. (Ed.), "Raw Data" is an oxymoron. MIT Press, Cambridge, Mass. Pp. 15-40.
- 25 February
- Gieryn, T.F. (1983). Boundary-Work and the Demarcation of Science from Non-Science: Strains and Interests in Professional Ideologies of Scientists. American Sociological Review 48: 781–795.
- 18 February
- Discussion without reading.
- 11 February
- Coopmans, C. (2014). Visual Analytics as Artful Revelation. In: Coopmans, C., Vertesi, J., Lynch, M, and Woolgar, S. (Eds), Representation in Scientific Practice Revisited. MIT Press, Cambridge, Mass.
- Chat with our visitor Catelijne Coopmans.
- 4 February
- No meeting.
- 27 January
- Chat with our visitor Etienne Vignola-Gagné, focus on genomics-driven clinical cancer research.
- NB: this meeting will be on a Wednesday, and will be at 11.30am in Byrne House.
- 21 January
- Chat with our visitor Ashraful Islam Khan, focus on Open Software.
2015
- 11 June
- Reading TBA.
- 21 May
- Daston, L. (1991). Marvelous Facts and Miraculous Evidence in Early Modern Europe. Critical inquiry 18(1):93–123.
- 30 April
- Whewell, W. (1833). On the Use of Definitions. In: The Philological Museum 2, pg 263–272; plus as a background McOuat, G.R.(2009). The Origins of “Natural Kinds”: Keeping “Essentialism” at Bay in the Age of Reform’. Intellectual History Review 19(2):211–30.
- 2 April
- Elder-Vass, David (2005). Emergence and The Realist Account of Cause. Journal of Critical Realism 4(2):315-338.
- 5 March
- Introduction and first chapter of DeLanda, M. (2002). Intensive Science and Virtual Philosophy. Bloomsbury Academic, London.
- 19 February
- Büscher, M., Perng, S. and Wood, L. (2014). How to Follow the Information? A Study of Informational Mobilities in Crises. Sociologica 1, 1–37. doi:10.2383/77044
- 29 January
- Fleck, L. Genesis and development of a scientific fact. Chapters 1 and 2.