Governing Data As Commons
Who owns community data? Design the answer. Explore technical, legal, and financial dimensions of Data Commons to create a governance framework for citizen-led research. Analyze precedents from health cooperatives to heritage projects, facilitate stakeholder workshops, and build practical decision tools. Address fundamental questions of data ownership and power while connecting to the growing data cooperatives movement. Justice-focused, interdisciplinary, foundational.
The Challenge
Who owns the data that communities generate? In most research projects, citizens contribute their time, stories, and insights—but the data they help create becomes locked away in academic databases or municipal systems. They have no control, no access, and often see no direct benefit. The concept of Data Commons offers a radical alternative: those who collect or share data should have ownership of and access to those data, a say in how they’re interpreted and governed, and the ability to generate value from them. But how does this work in practice? What are the technical, legal, financial, and social dimensions of implementing Data Commons principles? What governance structures ensure democratic decision-making while maintaining rigor? These questions need answers before the Afrikaanderwijk Cooperative Consultancy can become a sustainable model for citizen-led research.
Your Project: Mapping the Dimensions of Data Commons
You’ll investigate the technical, governance, legal, and financial aspects of Data Commons, creating a framework that can guide the Cooperative Consultancy:
- Deep dive into dimensions: Research the technical infrastructure (data storage, access controls, platforms), governance models (decision-making processes, membership rules), legal frameworks (data ownership, privacy, licensing), and financial sustainability (funding models, value distribution) of Data Commons
- Analyze precedents: Study existing data commons initiatives across sectors—from health data cooperatives to cultural heritage projects—to identify transferable principles and pitfalls
- Engage stakeholders: Interview citizen-researchers, municipal representatives, academics, and legal experts to understand diverse perspectives and requirements
- Co-create governance: Facilitate workshops to develop governance principles that balance democratic participation with operational efficiency
- Design decision tools: Create practical frameworks, checklists, or decision trees that help the Cooperative navigate data governance dilemmas
What Make This Special
- ⚖️ Justice & equity focus – Address fundamental questions of data ownership and power in research
- 🧩 Interdisciplinary challenge – Integrate technical, legal, social, and economic perspectives
- 🏗️ Foundational work – Your framework will enable subsequent phases of the project
- 🤝 Participatory approach – Co-create governance with the people it will serve
- 🌐 Growing movement – Connect with broader data commons and data cooperatives movements
- 📚 Academic contribution – Generate new knowledge at the frontier of data governance research
Who We're Looking For
You have strong analytical and synthesis skills. You’re passionate about data justice and community empowerment, comfortable navigating ambiguity, and skilled at integrating insights from diverse domains (technical, legal, social, economic). You can facilitate workshops, conduct qualitative research, and translate complex concepts for non-technical audiences. Bonus points for background in data governance, cooperative models, participatory design, legal frameworks (GDPR, data rights), or experience with community organizing. It is a plus if you can conduct research in Dutch, important for stakeholder engagement.
