Academic Karma: a case study in how not to use open data by Neil Saunders.
From the post:
A news story in Nature last year caused considerable mirth and consternation in my social networks by claiming that ResearchGate, a “Facebook for scientists”, is widely-used and visited by scientists. Since this is true of nobody that we know, we can only assume that there is a whole “other” sub-network of scientists defined by both usage of ResearchGate and willingness to take Nature surveys seriously.
You might be forgiven, however, for assuming that I have a profile at ResearchGate because here it is. Except: it is not. That page was generated automatically by ResearchGate, using what they could glean about me from bits of public data on the Web. Since they have only discovered about one-third of my professional publications, it’s a gross misrepresentation of my achievements and activity. I could claim the profile, log in and improve the data, but I don’t want to expose myself and everyone I know to marketing spam until the end of time.
One issue with providing open data about yourself online is that you can’t predict how it might be used. Which brings me to Academic Karma.
…
Neil points out that Academic Karma generated an inaccurate profile of Neil’s academic activities. Based on partial information from a profile at ResearchGate, which Neil did not create.
Neil concludes:
So let me try to spell it out as best I can.
- I object to the automated generation of public profiles, without my knowledge or consent, which could be construed as having been generated by me
- I especially object when those profiles convey an impression of my character, such as “someone who publishes but does not review”, based on incomplete and misleading data
I’m sure that the Academic Karma team mean well and believe that what they’re doing can improve the research process. However, it seems to me that this is a classic case of enthusiasm for technological solutions without due consideration of the human and social aspects.
To their credit, Academic Karma has stopped listing profiles for people who haven’t requested accounts.
How would you define the “human and social aspects” of open data?
In hindsight, the answer to that question seems to be clear. Or at least is thought to be clear. How do you answer that question before your use of open data goes live?