Digital Data, Virtual Humans and Issues of Portrayal in Teaching Qualitative Research

Location

DeSantis Room 1054

Format Type

Plenary

Format Type

Paper

Start Date

15-1-2020 2:15 PM

End Date

15-1-2020 2:35 PM

Abstract

In this paper, it is suggested that data and data portrayal have become increasing complex concerns in the digital age with digital technology creating often unnoticed affordances and power asymmetries. This interactive workshop will generate a creative space to examine the notion of ‘data’ and use images to explore the ideas of mustering, folding, cartography, and portrayal.

Data

Little attention is paid to the ways in which different types of data are managed, there seems to be an assumption that examining subtext, valuing thick description can be applied across all types of data in the same kinds of ways. There are also questions to be asked about how what I term ‘short data’ such as tweets and SMS are managed, misreported and misused.

Portrayal

This is often seen as an issue that is relatively straight forward but researching in a digital age provides greater or different opportunities to represent and portray data differently. It is suggested data presentation should be reconceptualised as four overlapping concepts: mustering, folding, cartography, and portrayal.

The workshop will also explore questions that need to be considered in arts-based inquiry in the digital age such as:

  • Does digital research really exist?
  • How might art-based inquiry be used to interrupt digital power asymmetries?
  • How do we deal with data from virtual humans?
  • Are there too many choices?
  • Are we lured by the readily available?
  • Does ‘the digital’ encourage us to be more participatory researchers?

Keywords

Digital data, virtual humans, portrayal, teaching interpretation

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Jan 15th, 2:15 PM Jan 15th, 2:35 PM

Digital Data, Virtual Humans and Issues of Portrayal in Teaching Qualitative Research

DeSantis Room 1054

In this paper, it is suggested that data and data portrayal have become increasing complex concerns in the digital age with digital technology creating often unnoticed affordances and power asymmetries. This interactive workshop will generate a creative space to examine the notion of ‘data’ and use images to explore the ideas of mustering, folding, cartography, and portrayal.

Data

Little attention is paid to the ways in which different types of data are managed, there seems to be an assumption that examining subtext, valuing thick description can be applied across all types of data in the same kinds of ways. There are also questions to be asked about how what I term ‘short data’ such as tweets and SMS are managed, misreported and misused.

Portrayal

This is often seen as an issue that is relatively straight forward but researching in a digital age provides greater or different opportunities to represent and portray data differently. It is suggested data presentation should be reconceptualised as four overlapping concepts: mustering, folding, cartography, and portrayal.

The workshop will also explore questions that need to be considered in arts-based inquiry in the digital age such as:

  • Does digital research really exist?
  • How might art-based inquiry be used to interrupt digital power asymmetries?
  • How do we deal with data from virtual humans?
  • Are there too many choices?
  • Are we lured by the readily available?
  • Does ‘the digital’ encourage us to be more participatory researchers?