The Data Crunch: Weekly Data Studies breakfast gathering

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.

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.