Jo Bates

The strategic importance of information policy for the contemporary neoliberal state: The case of Open Government Data in the United Kingdom

Abstract The article analyses the role of Open Government Data policy as part of the broader public policy agenda of the UK government. A thematic analysis of interview, observational and policy documentation is presented which suggests that since 2010 the Open Government Data agenda has been used strategically by the UKs centre-right coalition government to progress a range of controversial policies, which are aimed at the continuation of the neoliberal form of state through its current crisis. Specifically, the relationship between Open Government Data policy and the neoliberal objectives of the marketisation of public services and privatisation of public assets, the leveraging of financial markets and the pharmaceutical industry, and the embedding of OGD into a broader agenda aimed at rebuilding trust in political elites are analysed. These findings are examined in relation to Bramans (2006, 2011) arguments regarding the strategic implementation of information policy by Governments in the exercising of state power, and the development of the ‘informational state’.

Social reproduction and exclusion in subject indexing: A comparison of public library OPACs and LibraryThing folksonomy

– The purpose of this paper is to highlight limits to the dominant model of social inclusion under which UK public libraries operate, to analyse how and to what extent processes of socio‐cultural exclusion emerge in the subject representation and discoverability of “non‐dominant” resources in public library OPACs, and to consider folksonomy as a solution to any issues raised., – The paper first develops a critique of the dominant model of “inclusion” within UK public libraries, drawing on feminist and critical theories of identity. It then considers how this critique overlaps with and offers fresh insights into major debates within subject indexing, and develops a theoretical rationale for considering the potential of folksonomy to intervene in more inclusive subject‐indexing design. A user‐based critical interpretive methodology which understands OPACs as texts open to multiple interpretations is developed, and a comparative reading of standard OPACs and LibraryThing folksonomy is undertaken to evaluate the discoverability and subject representation of LGBTQ and ethnic minority resources., – LibraryThing folksonomy offers benefits over LCSH subject indexing in the discoverability and representation of LGBTQ resources. However, the folksonomy is dominated by US taggers, and this impacts on the tagging of ethnic minority resources. Folksonomy, like traditional indexing, is found to contain its own biases in worldview and subject representation., – The importance of subject indexing in developing inclusive library services is highlighted and a new method for evaluating OPACs is developed.

Data journeys: Capturing the socio-material constitution of data objects and flows

In this paper, we discuss the development and piloting of a new methodology for illuminating the socio-material constitution of data objects and flows as data move between different sites of practice. The data journeys approach contributes to the development of critical, qualitative methodologies that can address the geographic and temporal scale of emerging knowledge infrastructures, and capture the ‘life of data’ from their initial generation through to re-use in different contexts. We discuss the theoretical development of the data journeys methodology and the application of the approach on a project examining meteorological data on their journey from initial production through to being re-used in climate science and financial markets. We then discuss three key conceptual findings from this project about: (1) the socio-material constitution of digital data objects, (2) ‘friction’ in the movement of data through space and time and (3) the mutability of digital data as a material property that contributes to driving the movement of data between different sites of practice.

Data Power in Material Contexts: Introduction:

This short piece introduces the special issue of Television & New Media (TVNM) on data power in material contexts, which brings together papers which analyze the operations of data power across a range of real-world domains. It highlights the increasing connectedness of digital data tracking, aggregation, and analytics across domains that include and move beyond media, as data are increasingly combined and shared across diverse digital spaces. Thus, it connects media and communications scholarship concerned with datafication to debates in other related and overlapping fields, as part of the larger project of building data studies as an interdisciplinary and critical field. It briefly introduces the papers in the special issue, all of which constitute detailed empirical investigations that ground the study of data power in specific, material contexts.

Developments in LGBTQ provision in secondary school library services since the abolition of Section 28

The article explores progress made in LGBTQ provision in UK secondary school libraries since Section 28 was repealed in 2003. Little research has been conducted on LGBTQ provision in UK school libraries. This paper aims to fill a research gap in this field. Data was gathered from two qualitative surveys conducted in 2013. The first survey was aimed at LGBTQ people who had been pupils of a UK secondary school at some point during the period 2003–2013. The second was aimed at librarians currently working in UK secondary schools. The surveys were disseminated using targeted mailing lists and social media. A four-staged thematic analysis of the data was undertaken. The research found that school library use among LGBTQ teens is low due to LGBTQ invisibility and fear experienced by young LGBTQ people. LGBTQ school library provision would be highly valued by most LGBTQ pupils. Librarians are generally positive about LGBTQ provision, although they respond differently to diversity. Some adopt a neutral approach to inclusion; others offer more targeted and active support. Librarians’ knowledge and confidence regarding LGBTQ provision also varies. The paper provides increased insight into LGBTQ school library provision in the UK and provides recommendations to improve practice.

Making Data Flow for the Climate Risk Market

In 2011, the U.K. government announced that the national meteorological agency would be releasing a significant volume of data as part of its Open Data policy agenda. This article explores the interrelationship between this announcement and efforts to boost the competitiveness of the United Kingdom’s weather derivatives industry. Primary qualitative data are analyzed to produce a genealogical account of these policy developments, and Braman’s concept of “informational power” is used to frame a critical narrative of the broader dynamics of power at play. We argue that although there have been significant tensions around efforts to open the United Kingdom’s weather data, these have largely been absorbed by and, ultimately, contained within the hegemonic structures of the United Kingdom’s neoliberal state. We conclude by arguing that this struggle needs to be broadened and externalized beyond the state so that critical questions about the deepening data-driven financialization of climate change can be addressed.

Resisting neoliberalism: the challenge of activist librarianship in English Higher Education

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine the political position of academic librarianship in the context of recent changes in English Higher Education. The neoliberalisation of academic librarianship, both as an academic discipline and profession, is considered. The emergence of the Radical Librarians Collective is examined as a potential site through which to counter these developments and foster radical alternatives. Design/methodology/approach The paper draws upon Gramsci’s concepts of hegemony and praxis, and post-structural critiques of neoliberalism, as a theoretical framework to guide data collection and analysis, and observe developments within academic librarianship vis-a-vis broader processes of neoliberalisation. Empirical data collected through interviews and participant observation are analysed using thematic and critical discourse analysis. Findings The research finds that academic librarianship as a discipline and practice is undergoing a process of neoliberalisation. An umbrella organisation of activist librarians, Radical Librarians Collective, is found to be resisting these developments and has some potential to become a space through which radical alternatives to neoliberal hegemony can be explored and fostered. Research limitations/implications The research demonstrates the utility of a Gramscian theoretical framework as a lens through which to observe developments in the field of library and information studies (LIS). Further empirical work would deepen the authors’ understanding of such developments across a range of institutions and locales. Originality/value The research makes an original contribution to critical research on the struggles around the neoliberalisation of academic librarianship in the UK. The theoretically informed analysis provides original insights into these processes, and makes a methodological contribution to LIS research.

Community participation in the management of palm leaf manuscripts as Lanna cultural material in Thailand

The cultural heritage of the Lanna region of upper Northern Thailand is unique. One of its distinctive features is palm leaf manuscripts (PLMs), which are viewed simultaneously as examples of sacred writing and religious symbols, means of transferring cultural knowledge, artefacts of beauty and fragile historical documents. Local people still care about these objects, and speak the language but knowledge of the script is limited. The purpose of this paper is to explore the views of community members and experts about the value and management of PLMs as the basis for developing a model of community-based collection management.,Because the purpose was to explore differing perceptions and beliefs around PLMs the study adopted an interpretivist worldview. Data were collected through interviews with local people with an interest in PLMs and experts who advised on organising them. In addition, observation and a photo inventory method was used to collect data. Data were analysed thematically.,The results showed that while both groups saw the value of the knowledge PLMs contained, the community placed particular importance on the earning of “merit” through activities related to them as Buddhist objects. Experts gave particular emphasis to the knowledge of herbal medicine contained in the PLMs. The community valued indigenous storage and preservation practices. Experts were particularly pre-occupied with the intellectual property issue around medical knowledge and convenient storage and digitisation.,Existing theory around libraries, archives and museums suggest some starting points for how community participation might be managed, but the unique circumstances of Lanna PLMs calls for a distinctive approach.,The paper identifies a pathway suitable to the Lanna context that can build on current local practices, to enhance community participation in the management of PLMs, including a consideration of the role of information professionals.,This paper is one of the first to extend thinking about participatory practices in the library, archive and museum literature to the context of Thailand and specifically to the case of PLMs, in the Lanna region. Rigorous data analysis of a substantial body of evidence has enhanced the understanding of the different types of value placed on PLMs. It identifies an important but not unbridgeable tension between how local people and experts view PLMs. It builds on previous library, archive and museum theory to propose a realistic model of how communities and experts (including librarians) can work together to protect the rich cultural resource represented by PLMs.

Identifying the Affective Dimension of Data Mining Practice: An Exploratory Study.

The paper aims to illuminate how feeling, emotion and affect influence the practice of data mining. While data mining is sometimes presented as an objective and neutral technique by which to rationally understand and predict phenomena, we observe that there is an important affective dimension in how people understand, engage in and respond to data mining practices. We report the findings of a small exploratory pilot study conducted in 2016 in which we used ethnographic methods to observe the culture of a collaborative project between data scientists and a small digital marketing company. The project aimed to explore potential uses of data mining techniques in the process of telesales lead generation. Thematic analysis of collected data indicates that even in the case of a small scale project, the practice of mining data is deeply influenced by an underlying affective dimension. While these affective dynamics rarely surfaced explicitly in discussions between team members, it is clear from our interview data that feelings and emotions had a significant impact on how participants experienced and engaged with the practice of data mining. Our findings point to the necessity for a much deeper understanding of, and reflexivity in relation to, the affective dimension of data mining practice and how it emerges in the cultures and practices of data science projects. We argue that a deeper awareness of, and openness about, this affective dimension could benefit practitioners’ understanding of their own practice and motivations in decision making, and thus has the potential to improve data science practice.

The Role of Stories in Three Non-12 Step Alcohol Online Support Groups.

Health-related mutual aid groups provide an important source of information and support for people with a variety of illnesses and health problems. Research has demonstrated the important role of story-telling for people in Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) face-to-face meetings, for example, in informing new members about the organization’s beliefs about alcoholism. There has been limited research examining the role that story plays in online AA, and even less research on story in non-AA/non-12 step groups. This paper explores the role of stories in three alcohol online support groups (AOSGs) that do not follow the 12-step philosophy, but offer very different beliefs about problem drinking and approaches to managing it. The paper reports on thematic analysis of the three groups’ discussion forum messages, from which the role that story plays in the groups is identified. It is part of a wider study of the role discussion forums of AOSGs can play in informing users’ ‘representations’ or beliefs about alcoholism/problem drinking.