INTR3002: Power and Politics of Data

Behind every breakthrough—from climate change solutions to healthcare innovations—is data. This course introduces students to the global infrastructure of open research data and the tensions between sharing knowledge for the public good and protecting individual research priorities.

In this course, you will:

• Explore how open access to data improves research efficiency and global quality of life.

• Learn how researchers balance data sharing with career advancement and ownership.

• Examine the global policies, standards, and movements shaping access to data.

• Gain critical insights into the ethical, political, and social dimensions of data use.

By engaging with real-world examples and debates, you’ll develop the tools to understand and influence how data drives both research and society.

Humanity’s greatest challenges—such as providing universal healthcare and mitigating climate change—depend on reliable, accessible data. Yet questions remain: Who controls data? Who gets access? And how do we ensure its quality?

This course equips students to answer those questions by exploring how to find, assess, create, and share open data. Anchored in the unique environment of academic research, students will investigate evolving policies, standards, and requirements for data management.

Topics include:

• Open Data initiatives and data-sharing movements.

• The influence of AI on data use and creation.

• The shifting roles of researchers, funding agencies, and policymakers.

• Ethical concerns in data ownership, reuse, and equity.

Through case studies from University of Cincinnati research projects, students will see how data operates in real-world contexts while uncovering the power and politics behind it. By the end of the course, students will be prepared to think critically about data’s role in advancing research, shaping policy, and influencing the future across disciplines.