Communication and Critical Data Studies 2018 - COMS4407

Theoretical perspectives, ethical problems, and contemporary issues relevant to communication and data studies. Students will critically examine the rise of ‘big data’ and ‘datafication’ as socio-technical phenomena that have become a crucial part of our communication landscape.

Course presentations include:
Week 1 – Introduction
Week 2 - Conceptualizing data?
Week 3 - Indicators, Control Rooms and Dashboards
Week 4 - Open Data
Week 5 - The Characteristics of Big Data
Week 6 - Enablers and Rationale for Big Data
Week 7 - Open Government
Week 8 - Data Science, Analytics and Smart Cities
Week 9 - Data Politics, Activism and Cultures
Week 10 - Data Brokers
Week 11 - Ethics and the Environment
Week 12 - Assemblage, Methods and Review