The Ethical Data Initiative

Just in case my work-related posts may be misunderstood: I am not living this moment as if it were business-as-usual. It’s everything but, and all efforts and energy go into organising resistance. What are the tools at my disposal? #philsci #savedemocracy 1) scholarship: continuing to create evidence, and reflect on what that means, for fair and well-informed decision-making; 2) engaged research & education: learning from, & supporting, amazing communities committed to diversity, equality and improving the health of the planet and its inhabitants; 3) engagement with policy, industry, the arts, NGOs & public administration, joining forces to strengthen democracy & defend human rights in the face of technocratic authoritarianism & neo-fascism. To do this, in Munich Technical University of Munich TUM Think Tank we run the The Ethical Data Initiative; soon we will launch the Public Science Lab; we are starting Data Clinics with students and non-academic partners to better understand & support ongoing efforts at responsible #data governance; and we publish, teach, breath #openscience by pushing an inclusive approach centred on humans rather than tech (https://lnkd.in/dpj7Gbkd) In short: This is no time to run academia as if it were immune to socio-political and environmental crisis. It is time to learn from each other how to put academia - and intellectual life more generally - at the service of society. My deepest thanks to all who continue to provide models and inspiration, and feedback and help to continue these efforts while we can

?? Join us for the **Research Assessment for Ethics, Data and AI Discussion Series** inaugural event on Research Assessment in the Digital Environment. As digital technologies transform research, effective and ethical assessment is vital. Our panel of experts will tackle key challenges, including: ?? Valuing non-traditional contributions to knowledge ?? Maintaining integrity in research assessments ?? Reflecting digital realities in evaluation strategies Organized by the **Ethical Data Initiative**, CoARA - Coalition for Advancing Research Assessment ERIP, CODATA IDPC, and the **EOSC-Future-RDA AI and Data Visitation Working Group**, this series promises to enhance dialogue and empower stakeholders in navigating research assessment challenges. ?? Wednesday 26 February ?? 11h00-12h30 UTC ??Register and find out more: https://lnkd.in/epRqtyND Research Data Alliance Europe Suchith Anand Francis P. Crawley TUM Think Tank

New report from the PHIL_OS project! I am delighted by the ongoing results of this collaboration with #OpenScience at NASA - National Aeronautics and Space Administration , led by Paola Casta?o in our team and funded by the European Research Council (ERC), to assess dynamics and conditions of space biology data re-use and engagement - so much to learn from these efforts around such a unique and precious data resource, and key recommendations on steps forward Research Data Alliance (RDA) CODATA The Ethical Data Initiative (EDI)

The Agenda has been finalised for our first Annual Townhall meeting at the TUM Think Tank in Munich on the 31st of March! Join us to help shape the future of #dataethics and our Initiative and community. There are many ways to get involved, both in person and at a distance. Find out more and register: https://lnkd.in/g-rZFfAH

On the International Day of Women & Girls in Science, I want to thank and celebrate the amazing women I have had the privilege of working with over the last year, each fantastic models of brilliance, resilience, creativity and commitment to making a better world: Cassandra Bird, who just passed her viva with flying colours and will spearhead an ethical revolution in statistics; Abhi Navaneethanathan, who is defending soon and changing the ways oceanographers think about data bias; Joyce Koranteng-Acquah, who is investigating farmers involvement and research strategies in agricultural development and policy-making in Ghana; Emma Cavazzoni, who studies the role of data production and digital tech in research by focusing on Italian pest-plant interaction research; Kim Hajek, a pillar of the The Ethical Data Initiative and scholar of evolving mores, institutions and narratives in psychology; Paola Casta?o, finishing a book that redefines our understanding of the social, institutional, epistemic components of space science ; Rose Trappes, challenging what participation and engagement may mean in citizen science and beyond; Rena Alcalay, committed to investigating injustice and inequity in biomedicine and science more generally; Rachel A. Ankeny, FAHA, FASSA , sister in our effort to make biology and biomedicine more mindful of diverse sources of expertise and insight; Desantila Hysa, Ph.D. , the most skillful co-conspirator one could imagine and the pillar of our work in Munich; Oksana Bondar, with her grit and ingenuity and steadfast support for the whole team. USA, Canada, Australia, Colombia, Ghana, Italy, Albania, Ukraine, Greece - it is this combination of experiences, talent and care that I am so thankful for here in Munich, and our wonderful colleagues Richard Williams, Hugh F. Williamson , Nathanael Sheehan , Fotis Tsiroukis , Paul Trauttmansdorff , Elis Jones , Yoshinari Yoshiba, Alexander Martin Mussgnug (UK, Austria, Greece, Japan, Germany) no doubt appreciate too! (I am not going to try to thank all the amazing women colleagues spread around Munich and the world, as - thank goodness - this would take a big fat book not a post ????)

?IMPORTANT NEWS We recently launched a new LinkedIn account to better serve and engage with our community. *As we transition, please note that our current account will soon be retired.* To continue receiving updates, insights, and news from the Research Data Alliance, we invite you to follow our new official account. ?? Research Data Alliance (RDA) We look forward to connecting with you on our new platform!

Find out more the innovative work TUM Professor and EDI Affiliate Orestis Papakyriakopoulos is spearheading around Societal Computing.

The Ethical Data Initiative, in partnership with the TUM Think Tank, Philosophy of Open Science and the European Research Council (ERC), recently hosted a symposium on the challenges of fostering trustworthy information in our ever-evolving digital landscape. In light of ongoing global challenges surrounding disinformation, understanding the complexities and strategies to counteract misleading narratives is more crucial than ever. We highly recommend checking out the work of Boumans et al., titled "Fostering Trustworthy Information: Countering Disinformation When There Are No Bare Facts." This recently published study - which argues that the root cause of disinformation is TRUST, not truth - offers valuable perspectives on how we can navigate the murky waters of misinformation. Read more: https://lnkd.in/e_P9f9DT Sabina Leonelli Paul Trauttmansdorff Kim Hajek Marcel Boumans Joras Ferwerda Federica Russo Vincent Traag Arjan Wardekker Kathryn Bailey Suchith Anand #Disinformation #Misinformation #TrustworthyInformation #InformationLiteracy #DataEthics #Ethics

On Thursday, January 16, 2025, join us for the premiere of a short film that uncovers the hidden layers of?Data Shadows. Created in collaboration with Sabina Leonelli, principal investigator of our Ethical Data Initiative, artist Jacob van der Beugel, and co-director Oliver Page, this visually stunning exploration reveals the unseen dimensions of data and the human stories within them. ???Location:?Rio Filmpalast, Rosenheimer Stra?e 46, Munich ???Time:?5:30 PM to 8 PM ???Register here to secure your spot: https://lnkd.in/dvnKfGue ??“What are data?”?asks Sabina Leonelli. How do we learn from them, how do we move them around, how do we amplify and exploit them to create knowledge? Data are made, it’s about humans taking snapshots of a world in constant motion - extracting images, measurements, artefacts that can embody and exemplify nature, that can?be?nature in a way that is intelligible to our senses.? Data are material – whether in a digital or an analogue form, whether made of bytes, soil, concrete or wood, and whichever transformation they undergo as they journey across human landscapes – solid or liquid, corpuscular or massive. Data grow – not by becoming more of the same, but rather by clustering with others, forming assemblages that travel together for some time, then break apart, redistribute and fragment across space and time, coming undone by pressures and challenges as yet unforeseen. Data have surroundings, and the situations data find themselves in are what gives them meaning. Shedding light on data means interrogating the shadows around them, considering data as part of a situation of inquiry – a context that shapes experiences, methods, technologies, answers to the questions humans ask of the world.? Data have histories, and journeys, and environments which we can’t control. Data tracks us while we track them. Making use of data means interrogating their story and whoever is part of it. Data go back to dust, just as humans eventually do, their shadows dissolving into the green, capillaries of planet Earth, the lungs and lineages that keep us breathing and learning and surviving. cc: Suchith Anand, Kathryn Bailey, @Kim Hajek, Paul Trauttmansdorff, The Ethical Data Initiative, Technical University of Munich, TUM School of Social Sciences and Technology

Last big announcement before the holiday break - all interested in data ethics are warmly welcome to participate to our Town Hall meeting in person or virtually, since the whole morning session and the two keynotes will be streamed online. An opportunity to shape together the future of responsible data work, and exchange feedback on priorities, ongoing initiatives and joint plans ahead. Wishing some rest in the coming days to those who can take it, and much hope and joy to all! ?