Ethics in Contemporary Ethnographic Research  Changes On Branch 91c642314b98f2b7

# Assignment 1: Data Walk

Due date
: April 25, 15:00

The goal of this assignment is to sensitize you to the ways in which data is continually produced in contemporary social settings. In another context we might talk about the *opportunities* this holds for social researchers, many of whom have welcomed the "data deluge" as an opportunity to invent new ways of knowing the social. In the context of this class, however, we will mostly discuss its ethical implications---the ways in which the research process is shot through with ethical concerns when it takes place in data-saturated environments.

Canadian media scholar [Alison Powell](https://www.alisonpowell.ca/?page_id=71) came up with the idea for **data walkshops** with the express purpose of "opening up civic discussions about data and its ethics within urban space." A variation on the ethnographic go-along method, it has been adopted by scholars around the world, including the [Centre for BOLD Cities](https://www.centre-for-bold-cities.nl/projects/data-walks) in our own region.

In this assignment, you will plan, carry out and report on a data walk. Each student will submit **a brief report** (around 800 words) with supporting materials such as maps, photographs and notes taken en route.

During the walk, you will focus on _data hubs_: objects or sites that collect data. Examples include customer loyalty cards, ATMs, traffic cameras, RIFD tracking systems, OV chip card scanners, QR codes, parking meters, air quality meters, but the list could go on and on.

A data walk should involve a small group, with members taking on different roles, such as navigator, note-taker or photographer. For the purposes of this assignment, you should involve at least one other person, such as a roommate or family member. Plan your walk someplace convenient, for instance in your own neighborhood, and restrict it to about one hour. You may also ride by bike, but we advise not to drive unless you or your participant is unable to be mobile in other ways.

Your report should address the planning, execution and your reflection on the data walk. You may take the following points as a guide as you complete the assignment:

1. Your [research report](assignments/1.md) on a data walk (40 percent).
2. Your [group contribution](assignments/2.md) to the Hacking Ethnography collection (pass/fail, 10 percent).
3. Your answers to [essay questions](assignments/3.md) relating the course content to _Dealing in Desire_ (50 percent). This assignment is self-assessed.

We will discuss all three assignments during tutorials.

## What happens if I don't pass this course?

Completing this course is required to register for the second-year courses Fieldwork NL, Research Preparation, and Multivariate Analysis. If you do not earn a passing grade, that may result in a delay in your studies. If you are worried about your progress, reach out to the course coordinator and study advisor.

## Why do I have to grade my own work?

Yes, it is true: [Assignment 3](assignments/3.md) is self-assessed, which means you will give yourself a grade. Two big reasons we've adopted self-assessment are (1) it enables metacognition (thinking about thinking), and (2) it gives some more control to you, the learner, over the learning process.

## Can I redo any of the assignments?

In accordance with Institute and Faculty policies, you can redo an assignment if your overall grade is lower than 5.5. Your revised assignment will need to be a noticeable improvement over your original assignment to be considered for an improved grade. Be sure to incorporate any feedback provided on your first attempt.

Revised assignments will be due within two weeks after the grades for assignment 3 have been published. If you decide to redo an assignment at that point, please let the course coordinator know which one you intend to redo.

## How should I format my assignments?

Assignments 1 and 3 should follow the Institute's Style Guide, employ consistent references, and include a list of works cited. Aim to write clear prose, using paragraphs and subheadings to organize your writing. Use your creativity in assignment 2---no formal criteria apply (though you should still make sure to credit your sources!).

## Your question here!

Got more questions? [Contact us](index.md#instructors) and we'll do our best to clear everything up!

[course listing]: https://studiegids.universiteitleiden.nl/en/courses/115788/

## Instructors

| Name                                    | Email                                   |
|-----------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------|
| [John Boy, PhD](https://www.jboy.space) | <j.d.boy@fsw.leidenuniv.nl>             |
| Anna Notsu                              | <a.notsu@fsw.leidenuniv.nl>             |


| Suzanne Naafs                           | <s.naafs@fsw.leidenuniv.nl>             |
| Tim van de Meerendonk                   | <t.van.de.meerendonk@fsw.leidenuniv.nl> |
| Tom Legierse                            | <t.legierse@fsw.leidenuniv.nl>          |

## Dates

|      unit       | theme                                       | lecture             | tutorials     | due                              |
|:---------------:|---------------------------------------------|---------------------|---------------|----------------------------------|
| [1](weeks/1.md) | Contemporary Challenges to Ethical Research | Apr 13, 9:15--11:00 | Apr 17        |                                  |
| [2](weeks/2.md) | Data, Data Everywhere                       | Apr 20, 9:15--11:00 | Apr 24, May 1 | [Assignment 1](assignments/1.md) |
| [3](weeks/3.md) | Hacking Ethnography                         | May  4, 9:15--11:00 | May 8         |                                  |
| [4](weeks/4.md) | The Ethics of Ethnography in Industry       | May 11, 9:15--11:00 | May 22        | [Assignment 2](assignments/2.md) |
| [5](weeks/5.md) | Metrics, Impact and Academic Audit Cultures | May 25, 9:15--11:00 | **none**      |                                  |
| [6](weeks/6.md) | The Open Imperative                         | Jun  1, 9:15--11:00 | **none**      | [Assignment 3](assignments/3.md) |

Please consult [MyTimetable 🐓][rooster] for the schedule of your tutorial sessions.

*All times CEST unless otherwise noted.*

## Readings

# Week 1

## Lecture

Location
: PdlC SC01

Readings
: - Mutaru (2018)
- Le Guin (1973)

Contemporary ethnographic research continues the tradition of ethnographic inquiry in anthropology and sociology, but has some distinguishing characteristics. We will discuss the past and present of ethnographic research and how at every stage it involves decisions where ethical concerns are at stake, forcing us to ask what "the good" is in society and how we are meant to act. Further, we will cover the current research ethics regime, where it comes from, what it entails, what it looks like in practice, and why it is at times contested.

**No tutorials yet this week.**

Homework
: - Find the ethics code of an anthropological or sociological association in your home country or region and read it with Mutaru (2018) at the back of your mind.
- Ask yourself: How well do you think the code could guide you when dealing with emerging ethical dilemmas? Jot down some notes.

# Week 2

## Lecture

Location
: Kamerlingh Onnes A1.44

Readings
: - Bratich (2017)
- Thomas-Hébert (2019)
- Mejias and Couldry (2019)

Whether we like it or not, we live in data-saturated environments. The lecture will present concepts for thinking about this situation, introduce cases that illustrate risks that result for individuals and groups, and discuss some implications for the conduct of ethnographic research.

# Week 3

## Lecture

Location
: Kamerlingh Onnes A1.44

Readings
: - Markham (2012)
- De Seta (2020)

We have discussed challenges we face as we want to conduct ethnographic research in an ethical manner in today's world. But what can we do as researchers to put ethical principles into practice? How can we avoid causing harm and protect those in the field, ourselves included? We will draw on a range of practices and literatures to think through ways of "hacking" ethnography.

## Tutorial

# Week 4

## Lecture

Location
: Kamerlingh Onnes A1.44

Readings
: - Spitzberg et al. (2020)
- Spitzberg and Schneider (2022)

In this lecture, we will be joined by **Danny Spitzberg**.

About our guest speaker:

# Week 5

## Lecture

Location
: Kamerlingh Onnes A1.44

Readings
: - Wouters (2017)
- [Leiden Manifesto](http://www.leidenmanifesto.org/) (2015)

For this session we are honored to welcome Professor **Paul Wouters**, Dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences, who will speak from his vantage point about the ethics and politics of scientific knowledge production. Dean Wouters was a driving force behind the Leiden Manifesto on Research Metrics and, as a scholar of science and technology, he has studied important trends such as open science and mixed-methods research. He will also talk to us about issues that are unique to the Dutch social sciences and our own Faculty.

## Tutorial

Homework
: - Watch the [teaser video](https://pardoguerra.org/quantifiedscholar/) for Juan Pablo Pardo-Guerra's _The Quantified Scholar_.
- Review your notes from last week's lecture and come prepared to discuss what you learned.

Tutorials will be an occasion to discuss specific cases and think through ethical implications of doing research both inside and outside of academic settings.

# Week 6

## Lecture

Location
: Kamerlingh Onnes A1.44

Readings
: - Fassin (2013) 
- Reyes (2017)
- Dilger et al. (2018)
- De Koning et al. (2019)

Researchers have a responsibility to address issues of public concern, and critical scholars in particular have the ambition of making public interventions. This requires finding formats for scholarly communication that can reach the public, but also resisting tendencies that enclose scholarly knowledge behind paywalls or within proprietary systems. In that sense, ethnographers are champions of opening up our work. The demand to be "open" can also be a challenge to those conducting critical research, particularly for ethnographers who are unable to share their data or be totally transparent about their research process. We will discuss a variety of ethical issues that are at stake in this tension.