Workshop on June 25: Introduction to Data Donation

The Data Donation Lab is pleased to invite you to take part in the workshop “Introduction to Data Donation: A New Approach to Study Digital Lives”.

The collection of data donations to access digital trace data for academic research has gained increasing importance over the last few years. In this approach, users of digital platforms and services such as Google, Meta, TikTok, Spotify, or ChatGPT are asked to download their personal usage data from these platforms and donate them to a research project. This workshop will provide 1) an introduction to this new approach, 2) an introduction to and demonstration of the Data Donation Module and, 3) guidance for designing your own data donation project.

By the end of the workshop, you will understand the advantages and limitations of collecting data donations for research and gain practical knowledge of how a data donation collection can be implemented in your own research projects.

Workshop Structure and Agenda:

1. Introduction to data donation: We will provide a brief overview of what data donation is, why it is a promising new approach for social science and humanities, and what key considerations are needed when designing a data donation project.
2. Introduction to the Data Donation Module: We will present the Data Donation Module, an open-source web application that can be used to conduct data donation projects across all digital (media) platforms and other digital traces. This section includes a walkthrough of setting up a project, including crucial design decisions, recruitment of participants, monitoring of a project, and data analysis.
3. Best Practices: We provide insights into various data donation projects and outline the most important dos and don’ts—from ethical approval to publishing your results.