Responsible Data Governance of Neuroscience Big Data

Open access article.Current discussions of the ethical aspects of big data are shaped by concerns regarding the social consequences of both the widespread adoption of machine learning and the ways in which biases in data can be replicated and perpetuated. We instead focus here on the ethical issues arising from the use of big data in international neuroscience collaborations. Neuroscience innovation relies upon neuroinformatics, large-scale data collection and analysis enabled by novel and emergent technologies. Each step of this work involves aspects of ethics, ranging from concerns for adherence to informed consent or animal protection principles and issues of data re-use at the stage of data collection, to data protection and privacy during data processing and analysis, and issues of attribution and intellectual property at the data-sharing and publication stages. Significant dilemmas and challenges with far-reaching implications are also inherent, including reconciling the ethical imperative for openness and validation with data protection compliance and considering future innovation trajectories or the potential for misuse of research results. Furthermore, these issues are subject to local interpretations within different ethical cultures applying diverse legal systems emphasising different aspects. Neuroscience big data require a concerted approach to research across boundaries, wherein ethical aspects are integrated within a transparent, dialogical data governance process. We address this by developing the concept of “responsible data governance,” applying the principles of Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI) to the challenges presented by the governance of neuroscience big data in the Human Brain Project (HBP)

Evaluating micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) development programmes in Mexico: a practical participatory approach

This thesis is about a participatory approach to evaluation of development programmes for micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) in Mexico. It advocates the use of intangible factors (stakeholders' claims, concerns and issues) and the participation of stakeholders in the process of evaluation. This evaluation approach could complement conventional approaches used to evaluate programmes for MSMEs in Mexico. In considering these ideas, this research explored the evolution of evaluation identified by Guba and Lincoln and noted some of the problems faced in the evaluation of programmes for MSMEs (e.g. absence of clear objectives, difficulties in expressing the objectives in quantifiable measures and inappropriateness to deal with social behaviour inquiry). This research proposed a shift towards a qualitative evaluation approach and developed a Situationally Responsive Practical Participatory Evaluation (SRPPE) approach. This approach relied upon the accommodation of Guba and Lincoln's Fourth Generation Evaluation and Patton's Utilization-focused evaluation. In this sense, the term accommodation refers to the integration of their methodologies from a practical point of view and their use in parallel from a theoretical point of view. The SRPPE approach considered the claims, concerns and issues (CC&I) of the programme stakeholders as inputs of the evaluation. These refer to the favourable and unfavourable assertions related to the programme and to the declarations of disagreement between stakeholders of the programme. The CC&I are used to analyse components such as decision-making, political, learning and characteristics of the evaluator. The output of the evaluation process promotes conceptual, symbolic and instrumental uses of the evaluation. This approach was tested using a constructivist and interpretivist methodology in which the nominal group technique and focus groups were used to collect information. The information was analysed and interpreted by following a qualitative approach and case studies were used to describe the structure and outcomes of the evaluation of two Mexican programmes for MSMEs. The findings of the research project suggested that an evaluation approach which considered intangible factors helped to understand the programmes, revealed the different views stakeholders had, unveiled conflicts due to different stakeholders' interests and provided a guide towards programme improvement

Examining relational digital transformation through the unfolding of local practices of the Finnish taxi industry

Digital transformation has become a central construct in information systems (IS) research. Current conceptualizations largely attribute transformation to intentionality, focus on transformation within a single organization, or assign technology the role of a disruptive agent of change. Likewise, “digital” tends to be a general category of technology, rather than a specific technology enacted in a time and place. Inspired by Schatzkian practice theory and its site ontology, we suggest a contextual viewpoint on digital transformation and call it “relational digital transformation.” We analyzed the change dynamics in the context of taxi dispatch practice in Finland, studying the changing taxi dispatch platforms over years. We investigated five powerful industry actors: two incumbents, two entrants, and a federation of taxi entrepreneurs. We identified events of change in the material arrangements in sites and explain the changes through the process dynamics in the focal practice. We define relational digital transformation as a process through which practice-arrangement bundles of digital technologies evolve over time. This approach assumes the default nature of an industry is to be found in the changing relations between entities rather than in entities themselves. This provides a theoretical extension to the prevailing views of digital transformation in IS literature. It enables studying digital transformation in retrospect without attributing change agency to any entities or technologies a priori. We also contribute to practice-theoretical IS literature by demonstrating how the applicability of practice theoretical analysis extends beyond microphenomena to larger industry-level changes.©2020 Elsevier. This manuscript version is made available under the Creative Commons Attribution–NonCommercial–NoDerivatives 4.0 International (CC BY–NC–ND 4.0) license, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/fi=vertaisarvioitu|en=peerReviewed

Leadership as a challenging opportunity: Nepali secondary principals’ contextual understandings and perception of their roles

This qualitative case study explores the perceptions of three Nepali secondary principals regarding their leadership roles, behaviors, and experiences. By employing semi-structured interviews in both physical and virtual school contexts, it emphasizes the importance of understanding the specific contexts, critically evaluating global leadership trends, and adopting approaches that enhance student wellbeing. The study highlights the influence of sociocultural structures shaped by societal values and beliefs. Spiritual attributes like humility, compassion, and connectedness are identified as contextual knowledge for Nepali principals. The research identifies a gap in Nepali school leadership literature, providing practical insights for their future career pathways