iSchools Doctoral Seminar Series

The iSchools Doctoral  Seminar Series is an ongoing forum in which PhD students can present and  promote their research, and receive feedback from peers and more senior  scholars. It also allows them to establish partnerships and  collaborations across boundaries. PhD students at all stages of their  academic career are welcome to listen  or to present, regardless of  location. Please contact Romain Herault to join the events.

April presenters will be: 

(13:00-14:00) Johannes Widegren https://lnu.se/en/staff/johannes.widegren/ 

Title: Semi-Automatic Metadata Enrichment for Swedish Archives pertaining to the Sámi 

Abstract: In the Swedish context, the accessibility of archives  pertaining to the Indigenous Sámi population is vital for the dual  endeavor of uncovering historical wrongdoings against the Sámi by the  Scandinavian states and for raising awareness of Sámi  culture today. While more and more collections become accessible  online, access to archives is impeded by the scarcity of metadata.  Enriching metadata is time-consuming and costly; it requires attention  to ethical considerations as well as archival principles.  Machine learning and related technologies offer promising opportunities  to improve access to archival materials, firstly by automatic  transcription and image recognition, secondly by semi-automatically  generating or improving metadata via e.g. topic modelling  and named entity recognition. The aim of this project is to test how  and to what degree metadata for archives pertaining to the Sámi can be  generated and improved using machine learning approaches to counter the  colonial dynamics in the cultural record.  

(14:00-15:00) Nilou Davoudi https://ischool.ubc.ca/profile/nilou-davoudi/ 

Title: “All I ever do is cry on this app”: Death, grief, and memorialisation content on TikTok 

Abstract: Social media platforms offer a space for connection  through their socio-technical affordances, enabling users to interact,  communicate, and share across geographical and time constraints. Thus,  it comes as no surprise that such platforms are  utilised for the practice of mourning and remembering the dead. For  instance, TikTok’s unique blend of entertainment, self-expression, and  emotional connection has become a compelling force in the digital  practice of mourning and memoria. Yet, without understanding  the functions and affordances of TikTok, and the lack of policies  regulating the platform, mourners risk inadvertently exposing themselves  and the deceased to tremendous emotional implications, undermining the  digital dignity of the deceased, and compromising  the ethical stewardship of posthumous data. Drawing from a  mixed-methods approach of comparative analysis, as well as textual and  visual observations, I will demonstrate the tensions that arise when  conventions around death and grieving collide in public spaces  that are not only highly visible but also highly unregulated.