The Digital Transformation of Science

The digital transformation (DT) encompasses the digitalization, connectivity and virtualization of many aspects of our social, political, economic and cultural life. As such, it influences all phases of traditional scientific research, such as the choice of research questions, the choice of samples and data, the methods of collecting and analysing data and the ways of disseminating research results. At the same time, digital technologies allow for new ways to organize and conduct collaborative research. They also affect the methods, materials and organization of teaching. Data literacy is becoming a prerequisite for researchers of all fields, not only in terms of career success, but also as a competence necessary to engage responsibly with the broader public. Data-driven approaches are likely to transcend traditional disciplinary boundaries and may even call respective delineations into question. Last, but not least, the DT not only fundamentally affects the way we conduct science. The new possibilities to collect and analyse data also raise new ethical questions. And as scientific research constitutes an integral part of knowledge production in society, the impact of the DT forces us to re-address the general question of the role of science in society.

With this project, the DIJ intends to contribute to academic research and public discourses about the impact of the DT on scientific research. We will pay special attention to data infrastructures and their consequences for scientific research within and across disciplinary and national boundaries. The project will be implemented by applying approaches from science and technology studies and from the history and philosophy of science, by reflecting upon and sharing our experience in the application of digital tools in the field of digital humanities and by fostering the exchange between scholars - especially, but not exclusively - from Japan and Germany through the organization of events and research collaborations.