Investigating the Datafied Society: Entrepreneurial Research as Approach

Abstract

Humanities scholarship is essential in the present-day datafied society. This contribution discusses the interdisciplinary research platform Utrecht Data School (UDS) and its entrepreneurial research approach for investigating the impact of datafication and algorithmization on culture and society. This research approach is informed by close cooperation with external partners, including (local) government organizations, (public) media, companies, and NGOs and accelerates areas in which traditional academic research in the humanities have often said to fall short: societal engagement, knowledge transfer, and the application of research findings. However, as reflected on in the conclusion, it is not without its challenges.