Envisioning Collaborative Futures: Advancing the Frontiers of Embedded Research

TL;DR

The paper addresses the lack of a practical, ethically grounded framework for sustainable embedded research in digital civics. It proposes a full-day hybrid workshop with asynchronous preparatory and follow-up activities to collaboratively construct a dynamic framework, anchored in participatory design and commissioning approaches. The contributions include building a cross-disciplinary network, outlining plans for a future SIGCHI chapter, and disseminating findings through a targeted Interactions article plus follow-up conferences, all aimed at enabling communities to sustain digital civics initiatives with reduced external support. The work holds practical significance by fostering long-term, community-owned projects and governance mechanisms across the lifecycle of embedded research.

Abstract

Participatory design initiatives, especially within the realm of digital civics, are often integrated and co-developed with the very citizens and communities they intend to assist. Digital civics research aims to create positive social change using a variety of digital technologies. These research projects commonly adopt various embedded processes, such as commissioning models \cite{dcitizensproj22}. Despite the adoption of this process within a range of domains, there isn't currently a framework for best practices and accountability procedures to ensure we engage with citizens ethically and ensure the sustainability of our projects. This workshop aims to provide a space to start collaboratively constructing a dynamic framework of best practices, laying the groundwork for the future of sustainable embedded research processes. The overarching goal is to foster discussions and share insights that contribute to developing effective practices, ensuring the longevity and impact of participatory digital civics projects.