CFP: Seventh Workshop on the Philosophy of Information “Conceptual challenges of data in science and technology”

Seventh Workshop on the Philosophy of Information

“Conceptual challenges of data in science and technology”
**30-31 March 2015**

**University College London**

Run by the Society for the Philosophy of Information

http://www.socphilinfo.org/

Organised by

Phyllis Illari (Science and Technology Studies, UCL)

Giuseppe Primiero (Computer Science, Middlesex University)

**Invited speakers**

• William Wong (Middlesex University)http://www.mdx.ac.uk/about-us/our-people/staff-directory/wong-william

• Emma Tobin (UCL)http://www.ucl.ac.uk/sts/staff/tobin

• Judith Simon (IT University of Copenhaghen)https://univie.academia.edu/JudithSimon

• Rob Kitchin (Mynooth University, Ireland) http://www.maynoothuniversity.ie/progcity/

**Submission information**

Send your 500-1000 words abstract by 23rd January 2015 in doc, docx, txt, rft or pdf format, suitable for anonymous review, to [email protected].

Issues of interest include (but are not limited to):

• Causality: how should we find causes in the era of ‘data-driven science’? do we need a new conception of causality to fit with new practices?

• Quality: how should we ensure that data are good enough quality for the purposes for which we use them? What should we make of the open access movement; what kind of new technologies might be needed?

• Security: how can we adequately secure data, while making it accessible to those who need it?

• Big data: what defines big data as a new scientific method?; what is it and what are the challenges?

• Uncertainty: can big data help with uncertainty, or does it merely generate new uncertainties? what technologies are essential to reduce uncertainty elements in data-driven sciences?

All good quality abstracts on the broad areas described above will be given serious consideration. Abstracts will be refereed by members of the board of the Society.

*Important Dates*

23 January 2015:Deadline for submission

13 February 2015: Notification of acceptance

**Further information**

[email protected]

G.Primiero@[email protected]

See previous workshops: http://www.socphilinfo.org/workshops

Each workshop is a small scale gathering, with an open Call for Papers to present works in the large variety of research areas that focus on information, both in scientific and conceptual terms. This includes works in progress and we aim at discussing open problems in the area. For a brief presentation of the topics covered by this branch of philosophy, see http://www.socphilinfo.org/about-pi/about-pi.

The Workshop series has had publications in the following Journals: Synthese, Logique & Analyse, Minds & Machines, Topoi. We hope to offer presenters to the Seventh Workshop the chance to submit papers for the Special Issue of Information, Communication & Society (Taylor & Francis)

http://www.tandfonline.com/toc/rics20/current#.VGSjyHVtPUY

edited by Federica Russo and Andrew Illiadis, on Critical Data Studies.

**With thanks to  the School of Science & Technology  at Middlesex University, the British Society for the Philosophy of Science, and the Department of Science and Technology Studies, UCL for financial support.**