IDIES and DSAI Seminar: Christine Borgman

Description

Christine L. Borgman, a distinguished research professor in information studies at UCLA, will give a talk titled "From Data Creator to Data Reuser: Distance Matters" for the Institute for Data-Intensive Engineering and Science (IDIES) and the Data Science and AI Institute (DSAI).

IDIES, a federated institute within the DSAI, proudly invites Johns Hopkins data science enthusiasts for this presentation by Borgman, which is based on joint work with Paul T. Growth from the University of Amsterdam.

Abstract:

Drawing upon empirical studies of data sharing and reuse, we develop the metaphor of distance between data creator and data reuser, identifying six dimensions that influence the ability to transfer knowledge effectively: domain, methods, collaboration, curation, purposes, and time and temporality. We explore how social and socio-technical aspects of these dimensions may decrease – or increase – distances to be traversed between creators and reusers. We offer guidance to data creators, data reusers, data archivists, and funding agencies in ways to make data sharing and reuse more effective.

Sharing research data is necessary, but not sufficient, for data reuse. Open science policies focus on data release, yet reuse is also difficult and may never occur. By addressing knowledge exchange, rather than mere transactions between stakeholders, investments in data management and knowledge infrastructures can be made more wisely.

About the speaker:

Borgman conducts research in scientific data practices and information policy. Her publications in information studies, computer science, communication, and law include three award-winning books from MIT Press and more than 300 journal articles, conference papers, and other scholarly products. A Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and the Association for Computing Machinery, she has held visiting posts at Oxford, Harvard, and several European institutions. Borgman is a member of the Library of Congress Scholars Council and the board of directors of the Electronic Privacy Information Center.