Discussing the democratization of data: inclusivity, accessibility, and building data literacy in research on sustainability through data physicalizations

Abstract

Within the contemporary Western technocracy, data and power cannot be separated. Yet data is primarily used by trained professionals. To fight this inequality, there is a need for the democratization of data, especially related to climate change. One proposed area of data democratization is with data physicalizations. The purpose of this study was to explore processes of democratization through the lens of data feminism in academic research on sustainability through data physicalizations. The research questions were answered with a qualitative content analysis of academic articles on sustainability through data physicalizations. The findings indicated that the research was not as concerned with the democratization of climate data as is often assumed. While research on physicalizations did consider accessibility and inclusivity to a certain degree, it could further contribute to the democratization of climate data by including data literacy building practices in physicalization design and improving inclusion and accessibility practices.