Georgetown Law Technology Review’s Post

The pursuit of knowledge within academic circles relies heavily on the integrity and ethical conduct of research. Across diverse academic disciplines, maintaining these principles is paramount for advancing understanding and innovation.The PhD students, whose roles as emerging scholars and researchers are pivotal in shaping the academic landscape. As active contributors to the exploration and generation of new knowledge, their perspectives on research ethics and the role of Institutional Review Boards (IRBs) are essential. By investigating into their viewpoints, we can foster a culture of responsible conduct and safeguard research participants’ rights and well-being. Thus, understanding the attitudes and experiences of PhD students in navigating research ethics and IRBs is essential for upholding ethical standards and promoting integrity within academia. Looking at the importance and relevance of the area, we planned a study to do the analysis of their awareness and perceptions about the IRBs and are happy to share that our joint publication entitled “Ethics in focus: PhD students’ perspectives on IRBs in India” published in the Global Knowledge, Memory and Communication (An emerald Publications with IF 2.1 Cite Score- 5.1) I would like to thanks my co-authors- Subaveerapandiyan A.; Amreen Taj; Naved Ahmad; and Mohammed Gulzar Ahmed for their hard work and contributions to this publication. You can read the article here: https://lnkd.in/dawEF7pk Article Link: https://lnkd.in/dVVeEjVN

#MeetTheLecturer continues 😍 One of the pillars of Strathclyde Law School's LLM/MSc Law, Technology and Innovation is Dr Birgit Schippers. Birgit is a Lecturer in Law researching the impact of AI and automated decision-making on human rights, democracy, and the rule of law. Her specific interests focus on the human rights compliance of biometric technologies, such as face recognition technology; on the scope for human rights-compliant regulation of microtargeted online disinformation; and on AI and gender discrimination. She is affiliated to the Strathclyde Centre for the Study of Human Rights Law, and she is the Gender Equality Rapporteur of the Global Digital Human Rights Network.   Birgit will teach two modules on the new LLM: (1) ‘Regulating Technology’ 🤖 is a core class, which will introduce students to law’s role in the regulation of new technologies such as AI. The module will also examine how new technologies influence trends and developments in the field of regulation.   (2) ‘Human Rights and Digital Technologies’ ⚖ is an elective class, which examines the impact of new technologies on fundamental rights, such as privacy, freedom of expression, or non-discrimination. Concerns over technology-enabled human rights abuses give this topic a real urgency, and the module studies regional and international human rights frameworks that address these challenges. But it also asks whether digital technologies can be harnessed to protect and strengthen our human rights, and it examines the emergence of digital human rights as a distinctive form of rights protection in the digital age. https://lnkd.in/eVFDPDbt

DUPLICATE PUBLICATION UNCOVERED IN ACADEMIC JOURNALS Discover how concerns over duplicate publication in academic research have raised questions about transparency and integrity. Learn about the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) recommendations and the importance of upholding standards to maintain the integrity of scholarly research. https://lnkd.in/dYvEkMPg

In our latest Faculty Scholarship Series event hosted by the BYU Law Library, Professor Thomas Lee, former Utah Supreme Court Justice, led a discussion with students on his recent scholarship titled "Artificial Intelligence, Corpus Linguistics, and the Future of Textualism." Co-authored with Professor Jesse Egbert (Northern Arizona University), the paper explores the use of AI-driven large language models (LLMs) as a tool for empirical analysis of ordinary meaning, arguing that while LLMs are alluring, they fall short in comparison to corpus linguistics and its ability to deliver on core components of the empirical inquiry.

New article 👉 #researchintegrity is high on the agenda .. [we conceptualize Questionable Research Practices (QRPs) as attempts by researchers to reconcile forms of uncertainty in knowledge production] 🔻 .... we conclude by proposing some concrete ways in which institutions and academic communities could try to reconcile epistemic and social uncertainties on a more collective level, thereby reducing incentives for researchers to engage in misconduct. Andrea Reyes Elizondo Wolfgang Kaltenbrunner #publishingintegrity #reproducibility #peerreview https://lnkd.in/eaGXJGyG

More scrutiny and transparency- praying for major reforms in academia- we first need to work on publish-or-perish and really focus on discovery of knowledge- you know null results are results too- More public discussion of academic research would help as well- often researchers don't have the full picture- more engagement with practitioners would help greatly- God bless us all- https://lnkd.in/gqPFh8i4

Last week, I was in Basel speaking about methodology for legal research on emerging technologies to fellow young researchers in digital transformation and the public sector. As we all struggle or have struggled with our thesis' drafting, I shared some tips based on my experience. Here are some of them: 1️⃣ Definition  Working on emerging subjects often leads to difficulties in using terms which are not well defined in the legal sphere ("AI", "digital transformation"...). Some terms are not defined at all, others are subject to several competing definitions (for fuzzy concepts).  - Not having a clear and consensual definition does not prevent you from studying your research object.  - You can use a "functional" definition, which is not intended to become a unique and consensual definition but which purpose is only to allow you to conduct your research (it is a "purpose-specific" definition, in the context of your thesis). 2️⃣ Absence of a clear, set legal regime At the launch of my thesis, there was no AI Act proposal, no white paper on AI... Then, the regulation project fluctuated a lot between 2021 and 2023, with over 4000 amendments, different versions of the text...  - Do not wait for a final text before writing your thesis (this is a trap!).  - Drafting is adapting: be ready to change parts of your manuscript as texts evolve. - Build arguments that are "time-resilient", e.g. by criticizing the spirit of a text rather than specific wordings. 3️⃣ Lack of doctrine and other sources - Be methodic and rigorous in your databases research (list the keywords related to your subject and search them on each legal database). You cannot afford to miss a good reference. - Be open to international sources and doctrine (for french students: use Google Scholar, SSRN, HeinOnline, Westlaw). - Embrace interdisciplinarity. You can find some very interesting stuff in sociology, economics, computer science... 4️⃣ Time management Most of PhD candidates work in parallel of their PhD. In my case, I had only 2 days a week to work on my thesis and successfully defended within 3 years and a half. - Everyone is different. Try different working methods and find the one that suits you. - Procrastination guilt is normal and everyone experience it. Do not be too harsh on yourself. Mental health is top priority so go outside, have fun, see friends, do sports or whatever you like to have a break. - The things that worked for me: project management ; build a retroplanning with 6-months objectives ; discipline in the writing (try to write every day, even if you have only 30 minutes, it is sufficient to write the 3 bullet points you will be writing the day after!). Not pretending to have a miracle solution, nor that there is ONE way of doing things. Just sharing my experience if it can help! Thanks to the organizing committee Nina Lasbleiz, Liliane Obrecht, Clémentine Pouzet and Ludivine Stewart and all the participants for the great workshop in Basel!

I've got a new paper out today (...I had a busy summer...) It's in Perspectives: Policy & Practice in Higher Education and it asks whether we need to start addressing the deficit of care for researchers in research ethics processes, particularly where the researcher is conducting in-depth qualitative empirical research which is closely aligned to their personal experiences. Interested, as ever, in your thoughts and opinions. It can be found here: https://lnkd.in/esfShE-J #research #ethics #highereducation #care #qualitativeresearch #interviews

Our latest article on children’s research participation in International Journal of Social Research Methodology Ethics are always present when doing research with children but it is also connected to generational structures. Interested? Go and read more!

The conference on Modern #Bigness held at Utrecht University last week was rich in learnings: - From Inge Graef I have learned that neither #dataprotectionlaw nor #competitionlaw should become the law of everything; - From Anna Gerbrandy I learned that competition law might benefit from some yoga exercises and stretch where needed; - From Pauline Phoa I learned that understanding discursive power of #bigtech might be the most difficult part of understanding power in our world and that lawyers should not shy away from this; - From Kati Cseres that a #gender perspective on BigTech is not only interesting, but also necessary; - From Oliver Budzinski and Sophia Gaenssle I have learned that media economics have a lot to teach lawyers. And so much more. I was truly impressed by the larger number of #PhD researchers focusing on this topic and adopting the modern bigness theoretical framework. Thank you all again and Lotte Witteveen in particular for the big smiles and all the hard work! #datapower #dsa #dma