Data Science in Research, Business and Society (Autumn 2024)

Abstract

Autmn 2023. This course is only open to students admitted to BDS before 2023 and who have not passed the course. Course is an online course and registered students must contact course manager.

This course will provide students with a substantive discussion of applications and opportunities for data science in addressing real world problems coupled with an overview of field-specific research approaches for addressing these problems.

Description

There are two sides to data. On the one hand, researchers and analysts can look to data as a source of insight and an object that can be manipulated to produce outcomes that can then be interpreted or acted upon. On the other hand, people produce data in the course of living without much ability to control what effect the traces we produce might have on our lives and futures.

The goal of this course is to relate the technical content of other courses to critical concerns about data and data science approaches. Students will learn different ways people might think about data in business, research and society at large.

The topics and approaches covered in this course include but are not limited to:

• Domain-specific approaches to asking questions along with the reasons for why questions might need to be asked differently
• Translating technical concepts to real-world concerns through research-based language
• Knowledge claims in different research traditions
• Empirical methodologies in different research traditions
• Ethical implications of data-driven practices

Formal prerequisites

The course is mandatory for first semester BSc in Data Science students.
Please note that this course is only available for students enrolled in the BSc in Data Science.

Intended learning outcomes

After the course, the student should be able to:

• Account for different definitions of data, different data types and different research approaches that generate it
• Identify the knowledge claims underlying different interpretations of data
• Explain the difference between quantitative and qualitative approaches to data generation
• Examine the implications of data collection for research, business and society
• Discuss different debates about the implications of data for people in organizations and society
• Reflect on the ethical implications of data collection and processing in different contexts

Ordinary exam

Exam type:
C: Submission of written work, External (7-point scale)
Exam variation:
C11: Submission of written work