Data Journeys as an approach for exploring the socio-cultural shaping of (big) data: the case of climate science in the United Kingdom

Bates, Jo; Goodale, Paula; Lin, YuWei

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https://hdl.handle.net/2142/73429 Copy

Description

Title

Data Journeys as an approach for exploring the socio-cultural shaping of (big) data: the case of climate science in the United Kingdom

Author(s)

• Bates, Jo
• Goodale, Paula
• Lin, YuWei

Issue Date

2015-03-15

Keyword(s)

• social informatics
• infrastructure studies

Abstract

The paper reports on a pilot study aimed at developing a data journeys approach for critically exploring the socio-cultural shaping of interconnected data infrastructures, and presents initial findings from The Secret Life of a Weather Datum research project which applies the approach to explore the socio-cultural values and practices interacting with weather and climate data infrastructures. Through drawing on the data journeys concept to guide and inform the selection of sites for data collection, we begin to demonstrate the utility of the approach for beginning to build a picture of the “contingent and contested” (Dalton and Thatcher, 2014) relations between people, interconnected in time and space through data infrastructures, that are core to the development and shaping of climate data and knowledge. We also begin to draw out the interrelations between local and global spaces and infrastructures; and to ground amorphous ‘big’ data infrastructures in local sites and cultures of production.

Publisher

iSchools

Series/Report Name or Number

iConference 2015 Proceedings

Type of Resource

text

Language

English

Permalink

http://hdl.handle.net/2142/73429

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Copyright 2015 is held by the authors. Copyright permissions, when appropriate, must be obtained directly from the authors.

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