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 This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for access to manuscripts or any other inquiry.

2023

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.