Data diaries: a situated approach to the study of data

Tkacz, N., Henrique da Mata Martins Mário, M., Porto de Albuquerque, J. , Horita, F. and Dolif Neto, G. (2021) Data diaries: a situated approach to the study of data. Big Data and Society, 8(1), p. 205395172199603. (doi: 10.1177/2053951721996036)

Abstract

This article adapts the ethnographic medium of the diary to develop a method for studying data and related data practices. The article focuses on the creation of one data diary, developed iteratively over three years in the context of a national centre for monitoring disasters and natural hazards in Brazil (Cemaden). We describe four points of focus involved in the creation of a data diary – spaces, interfaces, types and situations – before reflecting on the value of this method. We suggest data diaries (1) are able to capture the informal dimension of data-intensive organisations; (2) enable empirical analysis of the specific ways that data intervene in the unfolding of situations; and (3) as a document, data diaries can foster interdisciplinary and inter-expert dialogue by bridging different ways of knowing data.

• Item Type: Articles
• Additional Information: This article is part of the project T2S Waterproofing Data which is financially supported by the Belmont Forum and NORFACE Joint Research Programme on Transformations to Sustainability (https://www.norface.net/ program/transformations-to-sustainability/), co-funded by DLR/BMBF, ESRC/Global Challenges Research Fund (ES/S006982/1), FAPESP and the European Commission through Horizon 2020.
• Status: Published
• Refereed: Yes
• Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID: Porto de Albuquerque, Professor Joao
• Authors: Tkacz, N., Henrique da Mata Martins Mário, M., Porto de Albuquerque, J., Horita, F., and Dolif Neto, G.
• College/School: College of Social Sciences > School of Social and Political Sciences > Urban Studies
• Journal Name: Big Data and Society
• Publisher: SAGE Publications
• ISSN: 2053-9517
• ISSN (Online): 2053-9517
• Published Online: 24 March 2021
• Copyright Holders: Copyright © 2021 The Authors
• First Published: First published in Big Data and Society 8(1): 205395172199603
• Publisher Policy: Reproduced under a Creative Commons License