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:
- The ethics of data collection and the ethical considerations behind it
- The role of domain-specific ethical considerations in fields like humanities, medicine, and AI research
- The limitations of existing data frameworks and their unintended consequences
- Data gaps and missing data—what is left out of research and why
- The influence of AI and automation on knowledge production and discrimination
- The impact of historical injustices on contemporary data practices
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
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}
}