The Data Science Ethos
A Structured Approach to Data Science
The Data Science Ethos operationalizes the responsibilities of data scientists - conducting outcomes-based research that is grounded in a thoughtful understanding of the human impacts and interactions of the work.
We offer practitioners structured ways of thinking about the social and ethical contexts relevant to each stage of the data science research process.
Getting Started
Learn about how to get started with the Data Science Ethos. What are the lenses and stages? How do the case studies help? How can I contribute or learn more?
Why the Data Science Ethos?
Learn about the origins of this project, dig into the concepts, and meet the interdisciplinary team involved in its creation.
Data Science Ethos - Announcement Webinar
The Data Science Ethos launched in May 2023 with an announcement webinar. Check out the recording of the webinar to learn more about the history of the Ethos, its implementation, and where we are taking it.
Jump to: Lenses
The lenses offer a structured approach to thinking about the ethical components at each stage of the data science lifecycle. Learn about how the lenses help contextualize the stages of data science research.
Jump To: Stages
Review the Research Lifecycle Stages - a familiar model for the data science research process. At each stage, we examine how the Lenses focus our attention on the social, human, and moral impacts and implications of research.
Jump To: Case Studies
Put the Lenses and Stages together with real-world research projects to see how social questions interact with the work of a data scientist.
Contribute a Case Study
The Data Science Ethos relies on individual contributions to provide case studies and teaching material.
To help contributors develop their case study, our six-step lifecycle captures the distinct, high-level stages of most data science projects and associates a robust conceptual framework that sheds light on the benefits and challenges of ethics-centered data science approaches.