Research guides: Love Data Week Workshop Series: Love Data Week 2025

Whose data is it, anyway?

The 2025 theme, "Whose Data Is It, Anyway?", explores data ownership versus usage. Data collected by groups such as researchers, governments, companies, or organizations may be owned, shared, published online, or combined. This year's theme helps us think about and remember to consider where the data came from before using it.

From Theory to Respectful Practice: Wampum as a Living Embodiment of Indigenous Data Sovereignty

Description:

This workshop will discuss the growing calls in Canada and around the world to recognize and respect Indigenous Data Sovereignty and consider the importance of moving beyond the theoretical implications of this movement using Wampum as an example. We will address:

What is Indigenous Data Sovereignty?
Why are there special considerations for Indigenous Data and Indigenous Knowledges?
What is the role of non-Indigenous researchers in interacting with Indigenous Data and Knowledges?
What are some steps you can take to respect Indigenous Data Sovereignty?

By the end of this workshop, participants will:

Gain a deeper understanding of Indigenous Data Sovereignty
Learn about respectful practices of interaction with Indigenous Data and Knowledges in a research context
Recognize the significance of Wampum in this territory

Materials:

Please reach out to Anneliese Eber (aeber@uwaterloo.ca) if interested in materials from this workshop.

Speakers:

Sara Anderson: Senior Manager, Indigenous Research

Savannah Sloat: Manager, Science Indigenous initiatives

Voices Behind the Screen, Navigating Data Collected from Online Forums

Description:

Online forums are rich sources of public data, offering insights into diverse topics and communities. However, this data often comes with anonymity, raising unique challenges and ethical concerns. This panel discussion will explore the complexities of using forum data for research and analysis: What are the benefits of studying anonymous versus non-anonymous online discussions? How do we address issues of privacy, representation and authenticity? Panelists will discuss case studies, policies and best practices for leveraging these digital conversations.

This online panel will combine lightning talks from panelists, prepared questions, and an open Q&A. The Zoom platform allows for live close captioning.

By the end of this workshop, participants will:

Identify various aspects of conducting research with data posted in online forums, including technical, data management and ethical aspects.
Learn about how different units on university campuses might approach working with this kind of data and how they can work together to navigate challenges.
Please register to receive the online event link and help us understand specific disciplinary considerations. The session will be recorded and made available to registrants after the event.

Materials:

Workshop recording

Speakers & Facilitators:

Panelists:

Michael Beazely: Associate Professor, School of Pharmacy

Shana MacDonald: Associate Professor, Communication Arts

Heather Dekker: Research Ethics Advisor, Office of Research Ethics

Anneliese Eber: Research Data Management Librarian, Libraries

Moderator:

Antonio Muñoz Gómez: Metadata & Cataloguing/Digital Scholarship Librarian, Libraries

Learn to Make Your Own Spotify Wrapped

Description:

Did you get a Spotify wrapped at the end of 2024? What kinds of data make that possible? Could you make a better wrapped by analyzing your own data? How about other platforms like Netflix, TikTok and others? In this online workshop, attendees will learn how different platforms and apps collect data about their users, how it can be requested and what you can learn about yourself by analyzing your data.

This Zoom workshop will combine a slide deck presentation and a demonstration working through a Jupyter Notebook to perform various tasks related to working with data from Spotify.

By the end of this workshop, participants will:

Understand the kinds of data being collected about them by various platforms and apps and how to request it
Understand the varying degrees of quality in the data obtained (what makes a good data set vs a not-so-good one?) and why it is important to have good data quality and documentation when working in their own research
Understand aspects of data literacy using a dataset from Spotify as an example (e.g., obtaining data, analysis and visualization)