Data Studies and Computational Intensive Theorizing

Location

Room information tbd, LUT University, Lahti campus (Address: Mukkulankatu 19, 15210 Lahti)

Registration

Registration is open until August 31.

Speakers

Assiociate Professor Aleksi Aaltonen, Stevens Institute of Technology, USA.

Associate Professor Dominik Siemon, LUT University, Finland.

Organizer

Associate Professor Dominik Siemon, LUT University, Finland.

Overview

Digital data increasingly shape organizations, platforms, work practices, governance, and everyday life. At the same time, advances in computational methods have created new opportunities for researchers to study digital phenomena and construct theory from large-scale and heterogeneous data sources. This two-day doctoral seminar examines both digital data as sociotechnical phenomena and computational approaches for theorizing in information systems and related disciplines.

The seminar focuses on how digital data are created, governed, interpreted, and recombined across contexts, as well as how computational methods can support phenomenon-driven and theory-oriented research. Participants will engage with topics such as digital trace data, pattern surfacing, computationally intensive theorizing, and the relationship between computational analysis and theoretical contribution building.

The course combines conceptual discussions with interactive exercises and reflections on participants’ own research ideas, datasets, empirical phenomena, and doctoral projects. Throughout the seminar, participants will continuously position and develop their own research in relation to the discussed concepts and approaches. Participants without an existing project or dataset in the area are equally welcome and can work collaboratively on shared example phenomena and cases.

Rather than providing technical training in programming, machine learning, or statistics, the seminar emphasizes conceptual foundations, theorizing, and research design. The course is designed primarily for doctoral students in information systems and related disciplines such as software engineering, business, and management who are interested in digital data and contemporary computational research approaches.

Program

September 9, 10:30-17:00

September 10, 9:00-15:00

Credit points

Doctoral students participating in the seminar can obtain 2 credit points. This requires participating in the two seminar days and completing the assignments.

Registration fee

This seminar is free-of-charge for Inforte.fi member organization's staff and their PhD students. For others the participation fee is 400 €. The participation fee includes access to the event and the event materials. Lunch and dinner are not included.