Naar kritische datainfrastructuren: Machtsdynamieken in participatieve datapraktijken zichtbaar maken door middel van dataphysicalisatie-ontwerp

Despite being a constructed knowledge artefact rather than a naturally occurring phenomenon, data continues to be portrayed as neutral and objective within society. The perceived neutrality of data obscures the inherent power dynamics influencing data practices including data creation, data analysis, and data-driven decision-making. This dissertation specifically addresses the power dynamics that arise when multiple collaborating stakeholders participate in infrastructural decision-making such as what data is collected, how it is measured, and what ways of thinking are prioritised in the process. These decisions can be consequential in broader power structures, determining who participates in knowledge production and which algorithmic filters are elevated to gatekeep knowledge, among others. To explicitly reveal power dynamics in participatory data practices, this research uses data physicalisation - an approach that relies on the construction of tangible artefacts which encode data through physical properties - as a means to transparently convey how decisions emerge from the dynamic negotiation of shared meanings. Although data physicalisation has been shown to support the collaborative, experiential and iterative development of data-driven insights, it has not yet been used in the context of power. Moreover, the data physicalisation process in itself is affected by power asymmetries, related to its planning, construction and dissemination. So far, data physicalisation research in the fields of Human Computer Interaction and Data Visualisation has contributed an overwhelmingly technocentric perspective to data-driven decision-making. However, before deploying high-fidelity prototypes, a more thorough and critical understanding of power asymmetries embedded in their design is needed. This dissertation aims to create new tools that empower equitable knowledge production while being aware of the power these tools have in shaping societal discourse. Accordingly, this research investigates (1) the power dynamics that influence infrastructural decisions in participatory data practices; (2) how constructing data physicalisation makes these dynamics visible; and (3) the power asymmetries present while infrastructuring data physicalisation itself. The methodological contributions draw on Human Computer Interaction and Data Visualisation research to presenting three participatory techniques designed to facilitate critical reflection: 1. Datopolis: a physical game supporting critical reflection on infrastructural decisions through collaborative storytelling. 2. EnviroMapper: a data physicalisation toolkit for eliciting and physically representing personal experiences of environmental comfort for later expert interpretation. 3. KINnect: a data physicalisation toolkit that supports equitable data practices by explicitly sharing decisions about its own planning, construction, and dissemination with stakeholders. The empirical contributions draw on feminist theory and participatory design research, synthesising insights from two studies: 1. Role of Values: explores the values underlying stakeholder decisions in data infrastructure creation and management, illustrated through a case study about Mijn Tuinlab - a citizen science initiative for supporting private garden research in Flanders, Belgium. 2. Disentangling: systematically and critically analyses power-related decisions by designers, stakeholders, and participants in existing participatory data physicalisation practices documented in academic literature. By applying methodological innovation to generate empirical findings, this dissertation advances a holistic understanding of power. From a materialist perspective, power is articulated through shared decisions between stakeholders mediated by the technology they use to achieve their goals. From a constructivist standpoint, power emerges through discourses iteratively constructed and collaboratively generating new meanings. These two perspectives demonstrate a dual research process between designing new tools while critically analysing best practices to be able to reflect on the power embedded in these tools. Ultimately, this research assists scientists, designers, and practitioners in critically engaging with data by rendering their decision-making process transparent.