Tensions in Data Journey Activities: Mobilising, Processing, Producing, and Re-purposing Data in Environmental Assessment Practice

Abstract

Digital data shape work practices as they travel through space, time, and social situations. In turn, workers shape the materiality of data through different data-oriented activities. In this paper, we draw on theory of data journeys to develop and present a conceptual framework of four data-intensive activities: Producing, mobilising, processing, and re-purposing. Together, those activities capture entanglements of data transformations and data-intensive practices. We develop the framework through a qualitative study of digitisation in Environmental Assessment (EA) practice. EA practitioners reflect on their experiences working with digital environmental data through ten semi-structured and two interactive interviews. The paper offers two main contributions. First, we develop a data journey theoretical framework and show that it is useful as a unit of analysis for uncovering tensions in data-oriented activities. Second, we use these insights to outline a set of tensions for future design activities in the area of data work practices.