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Broken data : Conceptualising data in an emerging world

Willim, Robert LU orcid ; Pink, Sarah ; Ruckenstein, Minna and Duque, Melisa (2018) In Big Data and Society 5(1). p.1-13
Abstract
In this article, we introduce and demonstrate the concept-metaphor of broken data. In doing so, we advance critical discussions of digital data by accounting for how data might be in processes of decay, making, repair, re-making and growth, which are inextricable from the ongoing forms of creativity that stem from everyday contingencies and improvisatory human activity. We build and demonstrate our argument through three examples drawn from mundane everyday activity: the incompleteness, inaccuracy and dispersed nature of personal self-tracking data; the data cleaning and repair processes of Big Data analysis and how data can turn into noise and vice versa when they are transduced into sound within practices of music production and sound... (More)
In this article, we introduce and demonstrate the concept-metaphor of broken data. In doing so, we advance critical discussions of digital data by accounting for how data might be in processes of decay, making, repair, re-making and growth, which are inextricable from the ongoing forms of creativity that stem from everyday contingencies and improvisatory human activity. We build and demonstrate our argument through three examples drawn from mundane everyday activity: the incompleteness, inaccuracy and dispersed nature of personal self-tracking data; the data cleaning and repair processes of Big Data analysis and how data can turn into noise and vice versa when they are transduced into sound within practices of music production and sound art. This, we argue is a necessary step for considering the meaning and implications of data as it is increasingly mobilised in ways that impact society and our everyday worlds. (Less)
Abstract (Swedish)
In this article, we introduce and demonstrate the concept-metaphor of broken data. In doing so, we advance critical discussions of digital data by accounting for how data might be in processes of decay, making, repair, re-making and growth, which are inextricable from the ongoing forms of creativity that stem from everyday contingencies and improvisatory human activity. We build and demonstrate our argument through three examples drawn from mundane everyday activity: the incompleteness, inaccuracy and dispersed nature of personal self-tracking data; the data cleaning and repair processes of Big Data analysis and how data can turn into noise and vice versa when they are transduced into sound within practices of music production and sound... (More)
In this article, we introduce and demonstrate the concept-metaphor of broken data. In doing so, we advance critical discussions of digital data by accounting for how data might be in processes of decay, making, repair, re-making and growth, which are inextricable from the ongoing forms of creativity that stem from everyday contingencies and improvisatory human activity. We build and demonstrate our argument through three examples drawn from mundane everyday activity: the incompleteness, inaccuracy and dispersed nature of personal self-tracking data; the data cleaning and repair processes of Big Data analysis and how data can turn into noise and vice versa when they are transduced into sound within practices of music production and sound art. This, we argue is a necessary step for considering the meaning and implications of data as it is increasingly mobilised in ways that impact society and our everyday worlds. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Digital data, broken world theory, repair, improvisation, ethnography, noise, sound art, glitch art, self tracking, data cleaning, Digital data, broken world theory, repair, improvisation, ethnography
in
Big Data and Society
volume
5
issue
1
pages
1 - 13
publisher
SAGE Publications
external identifiers
  • scopus:85061429366
ISSN
2053-9517
DOI
10.1177/2053951717753228
project
Digital Cultures Research Node
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
53b70a47-03a6-481e-981b-ff8c7a706363
date added to LUP
2018-04-04 15:22:11
date last changed
2024-01-14 17:54:07
@article{53b70a47-03a6-481e-981b-ff8c7a706363,
  abstract     = {{In this article, we introduce and demonstrate the concept-metaphor of broken data. In doing so, we advance critical discussions of digital data by accounting for how data might be in processes of decay, making, repair, re-making and growth, which are inextricable from the ongoing forms of creativity that stem from everyday contingencies and improvisatory human activity. We build and demonstrate our argument through three examples drawn from mundane everyday activity: the incompleteness, inaccuracy and dispersed nature of personal self-tracking data; the data cleaning and repair processes of Big Data analysis and how data can turn into noise and vice versa when they are transduced into sound within practices of music production and sound art. This, we argue is a necessary step for considering the meaning and implications of data as it is increasingly mobilised in ways that impact society and our everyday worlds.}},
  author       = {{Willim, Robert and Pink, Sarah and Ruckenstein, Minna and Duque, Melisa}},
  issn         = {{2053-9517}},
  keywords     = {{Digital data; broken world theory; repair; improvisation; ethnography; noise; sound art; glitch art; self tracking; data cleaning; Digital data; broken world theory; repair; improvisation; ethnography}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  month        = {{01}},
  number       = {{1}},
  pages        = {{1--13}},
  publisher    = {{SAGE Publications}},
  series       = {{Big Data and Society}},
  title        = {{Broken data : Conceptualising data in an emerging world}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/2053951717753228}},
  doi          = {{10.1177/2053951717753228}},
  volume       = {{5}},
  year         = {{2018}},
}