Critical Data Discourses: A Lecture Series on the Ethics of Research Data

Lab Life
Research
Authors
Affiliations

Laura Rothfritz

Katrin Frisch

Published

February 21, 2025

In a time when research data is increasingly at the heart of research integrity, discussions about data sharing, openness, and reusability have gained prominence. Yet, the ethical complexities surrounding research data—who collects it, how it is used, and whose interests it serves—are often sidelined. The Critical Data Discourses lecture series seeks to shift the focus from purely technical concerns to broader ethical, social, and political reflections on data.

Discussions about data in research are often dominated by principles like FAIR (Wilkinson et al. 2016), which aim to standardize and optimize the findability, accessibility, interoperability and reusability of research data. While these principles are important, they do not fully capture the ethical dimensions of data collection and use. Questions of fairness, responsibility, power dynamics, and care work in data practices are not covered by these principles.

At the same time, international discussions have introduced complementary frameworks, such as the CARE principles (Carroll et al. 2020)—developed from Indigenous governance perspectives—which emphasize the social and relational aspects of data. These principles highlight how data is not just a neutral resource but deeply intertwined with historical, social, and ethical considerations.

With this lecture series, we aim to bring together data professionals and critical scholars to examine the evolving landscape of data ethics and adjacent questions about data politics and data justice. Through a series of expert talks, we are exploring issues that are often missing from mainstream research data discussions, such as:

Our motivation for organizing this series stems from a shared interest in rethinking data practices beyond efficiency and compliance, and centering on issues of ethics, justice, transparency, and responsibility. More information is available on our website.

After a successful launch with over 100 participants in our first session, we are excited to continue the discussions in our upcoming talks on data ethics, AI, and power structures in research data.

Here is a look at what’s next (in German):

Session 3: 04.03.2025, 14-16 Uhr Ethik des Sammelns

The Dark Side of DNA: Exposing the Ethical Lapses That Threaten Human Genetics

Vortragender: Yves Moreau, University of Leuven, Belgium

Unborn digital. Challenges in data publications on collections of human embryos and fetuses

Vortragender: Michael Markert, FAU Erlangen-Nürnberg

Anmeldung: https://hu.berlin/56827

Session 4: 20.03.2025, 14-16 Uhr Fachspezifische Datenethik

Ethische Kontrollinstanzen für die Literaturwissenschaft? Über Freiheit und Verantwortung im literaturwissenschaftlichen Datenumgang

Vortragende: Katharina Fürholzer, Universität Koblenz

Ethische Aspekte der Nutzung generativer KI in der Wissenschaft – ein medizinethischer Blickwinkel

Vortragende: Theresa Willem, TU München & Helmholtz Zentrum München - Deutsches Forschungszentrum für Gesundheit und Umwelt

Anmeldung: https://hu.berlin/85362

Session 5: 03.04.2025 14-16 Uhr Data Gaps

Die Polizeiliche Kriminalstatistik (PKS) – belastbare Grundlage für gesellschaftspolitische Debatten oder verzerrtes Datensammelsammelsurium?

Vortragender: Martin Thüne, FHVD - Fachbereich Polizei

Datenbank zu Rechtsterrorismus: Schwierigkeiten und Chancen bei der Datenerhebung.

Vortragender: Thilo Manemann, Center for Monitoring, Analyse und Strategie

Anmeldung: https://hu.berlin/37719

Session 6: 10.04.2025, 14-16 Uhr Data Agency & AI

Die neue Unsichtbarkeit von Frauen: Von synthetischen Bildern und ethischen Folgen

Vortragende: Eugenia Stamboliev, Universität Wien

More or less discrimination? Psychological (and other) AIs in personnel selection

Vortragende: Helena Mihaljević, Hochschule für Technik und Wirtschaft, Berlin

Anmeldung: https://hu.berlin/64446

Session 7: 29.04.2025, 14-16 Uhr Abschlussveranstaltung

Menschenrechtsbasierter Zugang zu Daten: der Monitor Gewalt gegen Frauen - Indikatoren, Arbeit mit administrativen Daten und ethische Implikationen

Vortragende: Jolanda Krok, Miriam Schroer-Hippel, Lilly-Allegra Hikisch

Anmeldung: https://hu.berlin/74686

Further information about the research group can be found on our official website.

This text – excluding quotes and otherwise labelled parts – is licensed under the CC BY 4.0 DEED.

References

Carroll, Stephanie Russo, Ibrahim Garba, Oscar L. Figueroa-Rodríguez, Jarita Holbrook, Raymond Lovett, Simeon Materechera, Mark Parsons, et al. 2020. “The CARE Principles for Indigenous Data Governance.” Data Science Journal, November. https://doi.org/10.5334/dsj-2020-043.
Wilkinson, Mark D., Michel Dumontier, IJsbrand Jan Aalbersberg, Gabrielle Appleton, Myles Axton, Arie Baak, Niklas Blomberg, et al. 2016. “The FAIR Guiding Principles for Scientific Data Management and Stewardship.” Scientific Data 3 (March): 160018.

Citation

BibTeX citation:
@online{rothfritz2025,
  author = {Rothfritz, Laura and Frisch, Katrin},
  title = {Critical {Data} {Discourses:} {A} {Lecture} {Series} on the
    {Ethics} of {Research} {Data}},
  date = {2025-02-21},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.59350/6dp70-2j455},
  langid = {en}
}
For attribution, please cite this work as:
Rothfritz, Laura, and Katrin Frisch. 2025. “Critical Data Discourses: A Lecture Series on the Ethics of Research Data .” February 21, 2025. https://doi.org/10.59350/6dp70-2j455.