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A Design Perspective on Data

Published: 02 May 2017 Publication History

Abstract

Empirical studies invariably show that data generation is situationally contingent and interpretively flexible, even when data is collected automatically. This essay situates data generation within a design perspective, demonstrating how data creation can be understood as a multilayered set of interlocking design activities. By showing how data is infused with design, this paper argues that any "use" of data represents a continuation of its design. We are always designers of data, never its mere appropriators.

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    cover image ACM Conferences
    CHI '17: Proceedings of the 2017 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems
    May 2017
    7138 pages
    ISBN:9781450346559
    DOI:10.1145/3025453
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    Published: 02 May 2017

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    Author Tags

    1. data
    2. design
    3. infrastructure
    4. materiality
    5. metadata

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    • (2024)Surveys Considered Harmful? Reflecting on the Use of Surveys in AI Research, Development, and GovernanceProceedings of the 2024 AAAI/ACM Conference on AI, Ethics, and Society10.5555/3716662.3716785(1416-1433)Online publication date: 21-Oct-2024
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