The Data Studies group gathers every Monday 9AM, 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! Traditionally we meet at La Touche on campus.

Note that some of the readings are author’s manuscripts that are kindly shared with the reading group; please get in touch with This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for access to manuscripts or any other inquiry.

2019

17 June

Reading: Elena Aronova (2017). Geophysical Datascapes of the Cold War: Politics and Practices of the World Data Centers in the 1950s and 1960s. Osiris, 32(1): 307–327

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

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 DataCrunch.

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.