Data science in academia: Emerging identities, collaborations, and ethics

Abstract: Our research focuses beyond the hype of industry-powered data science, on the practices and culture of data science as it evolves in academia and challenges institutional norms. Based on ethnographic research within data science communities across multiple universities, I describe the emerging identities across data science as well as the unique collaborations and configurations around data that are forged across disciplinary and sectoral boundaries. Finally, as academia shifts towards data-intensive knowledge production we find that new ethical quandaries emerge, outpacing our current ethical frameworks. These emerging trends represent both the promise and perils of the future of data science and its impact on society.