Lay perspectives on big data: Insights from citizen conferences in Germany

First Monday ◽  
2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
René König

As big data shapes more and more aspects of our lives, a wide-spread concern is that the affected people’s interests are not sufficiently taken into account. The field of participatory technology assessment (pTA) has attempted to make such processes more democratic by involving laypeople as an additional voice to the often rather expert-driven development. This text presents the lessons learned from such an endeavor, namely three citizen conferences on big data held in Germany. The empirical results are presented and critically contextualized in the larger discourse on pTA and big data. Therefore, the article sheds light on lay perspectives on big data while also providing insights into the strengths and weaknesses of participatory methods such as citizen conferences.

2010 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Lizzy Bleumers ◽  
Kris Naessens ◽  
An Jacobs

This article introduces Proxy Technology Assessment (PTA) as a methodological approach that can widen the scope of virtual world and game research. Studies of how people experience virtual worlds and games often focus on individual in-world or in-game experiences. However, people do not perceive these worlds and games in isolation. They are embedded within a social context that has strongly intertwined online and offline components. Studying virtual experiences while accounting for these interconnections calls for new methodological approaches. PTA answers this call.Combining several methods, PTA can be used to investigate how new technology may impact and settle within people's everyday life (Pierson et al., 2006). It involves introducing related devices or applications, available today, to users in their natural setting and studying the context-embedded practices they alter or evoke. This allows researchers to detect social and functional requirements to improve the design of new technologies. These requirements, like the practices under investigation, do not stop at the outlines of a magic circle (cf. Huizinga, 1955).We will start this article by contextualizing and defining PTA. Next, we will describe the practical implementation of PTA. Each step of the procedure will be illustrated with examples and supplemented with lessons learned from two interdisciplinary scientific projects, Hi-Masquerade and Teleon, concerned with how people perceive and use virtual worlds and games respectively.


Author(s):  
Yupo Chan

This paper reviews both the author’s experience with managing highway network traffic on a real-time basis and the ongoing research into harnessing the potential of telecommunications and information technology (IT). On the basis of the lessons learned, this paper speculates about how telecommunications and IT capabilities can respond to current and future developments in traffic management. Issues arising from disruptive telecommunications technologies include the ready availability of real-time information, the crowdsourcing of information, the challenges of big data, and the need for information quality. Issues arising from transportation technologies include autonomous vehicles and connected vehicles and new taxi-like car- and bikesharing. Illustrations are drawn from the following core functions of a traffic management center: ( a) detecting and resolving an incident (possibly through crowdsourcing), ( b) monitoring and forecasting traffic (possibly through connected vehicles serving as sensors), ( c) advising motorists about routing alternatives (possibly through real-time information), and ( d) configuring traffic control strategies and tactics (possibly though big data). The conclusion drawn is that agility is the key to success in an ever-evolving technological scene. The solid guiding principle remains innovative and rigorous analytical procedures that build on the state of the art in the field, including both hard and soft technologies. The biggest modeling and simulation challenge remains the unknown, including such rapidly emerging trends as the Internet of things and the smart city.


Author(s):  
Andrew N. Pilny ◽  
Marshall Scott Poole

The exponential growth of “Big Data” has given rise to a field known as computational social science (CSS). The authors view CSS as the interdisciplinary investigation of society that takes advantage of the massive amount of data generated by individuals in a way that allows for abductive research designs. Moreover, CSS complicates the relationship between data and theory by opening the door for a more data-driven approach to social science. This chapter will demonstrate the utility of a CSS approach using examples from dynamic interaction modeling, machine learning, and network analysis to investigate organizational communication (OC). The chapter concludes by suggesting that lessons learned from OC's history can help deal with addressing several current issues related to CSS, including an audit culture, data collection ethics, transparency, and Big Data hubris.


Author(s):  
Chunfang Zhou ◽  
Lars Bo Henriksen ◽  
Søren Kerndrup

China is developing an ‘innovation-oriented nation' and meanwhile meeting challenges in both innovation practice and research. This chapter contributes to the book that introduces a problem-oriented approach to develop innovation research to a Chinese context that responses to the increasing challenges. Three questions will be focused on: 1) What are the main problems and challenges of innovation and research in China to become a front runner in the knowledge economy? 2) What is a problem-oriented innovation approach? and 3) How does it conceptualize the China's innovation challenge? Briefly, this chapter deepens the understanding of a new conceptual framework of a problem-oriented approach to innovation research and suggests new methods of technology assessment to China. It also provides implications for researchers in other cultural contexts around the world.


Author(s):  
Morteza Arab-Zozani ◽  
Mobin Sokhanvar ◽  
Edris Kakemam ◽  
Tahereh Didehban ◽  
Soheil Hassanipour

This article describes the characteristics of the health system and reviews the history of health technology assessment (HTA) in Iran, including its inception, processes, challenges, and lessons learned. This study was conducted by analyzing existing documents, reports, and guidelines related to HTA and published articles in the field. HTA in Iran has been established since the late 2000s and was first introduced as a secretariat by the Deputy of Health at the Ministry of Health and Medical Education. The mission of the HTA office is to systematically assess technologies to improve evidence-informed decision making. Despite its 10 years of existence, HTA in Iran still faces some challenges. The most pressing problems currently facing HTA in Iran include conflicts of interest among researchers performing the HTAs, the absence of a systematic structure for identifying and introducing new technologies, the lack of interest in HTA results among high-level policy makers, and the lack of external oversight for HTA projects.


Author(s):  
Ana Toledo-Chávarri ◽  
Yolanda Triñanes Pego ◽  
Eva Reviriego Rodrigo ◽  
Nora Ibargoyen Roteta ◽  
Blanca Novella-Arribas ◽  
...  

Objective The Spanish Network of Agencies for Assessing National Health System Technologies and Performance (RedETS) defined a patient involvement (PI) framework for health technology assessment (HTA) activities in 2016. The aim of this study is to evaluate the process and impact of those PI initiatives that were implemented in the first year following the publication of this new framework. Methods A survey was sent to those HTA researchers who implemented PI in RedETS projects. Responses were reviewed by two authors. An adapted thematic analysis was performed and the results were later discussed by all authors. Results Six responses from six agencies/units were analyzed. The objectives of PI initiatives were the following: inclusion of patient perspectives, preferences and values; elicitation of important health outcomes measures; and barriers, facilitators, or suggestions for implementation. Different methods were used for PI: surveys, focus groups, in depth interviews, and participation in an expert panel. Five main themes emerged: (i) challenges with the recruitment process, (ii) needs identified, (iii) impact of PI, (iv) lessons learned, and (v) suggestions for the future. Conclusions PI initiatives within the RedETS framework were tailored to each HTA project, its specific goals and the individual needs and resources of each HTA agency. The results also pointed out how PI has a relevant impact that has enriched RedETS products providing key information on experiences, values, and preferences of patients, contributions that benefit the HTA and the process of drawing up recommendations. The main challenges were related to recruitment processes and capacity building.


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