We are delighted to invite you to the online launch of the Research Handbook on Digital Data: Interdisciplinary Perspectives (Edward Elgar Publishing) on 1 April 2026. The book is co-edited by Aleksi Aaltonen with Marta Stelmaszak and Kalle Lyytinen. The event is open to all, but registration is required to make sure you receive an invitation with joining instructions.

Digital data have become central to how organizations operate, how decisions are made, and how societies are governed. Yet, across disciplines, we often lack a shared language for talking about what digital data are, what they do, and how they matter. This handbook brings together scholars from information systems, organization studies, sociology, science and technology studies, public policy, and related fields to explore digital data not as a single, settled object, but as a kaleidoscopic phenomenon, taking on different meanings, roles, and consequences across contexts.

Online Book Launch

The launch event will provide a space for reflection and exchange about digital data as an object of study, as a site of ongoing research, and as a growing concern for organizations and society. The editors will first introduce the book and then authors representing each section will discuss the core themes and questions animating their section. We will hear from Matthew Jones on data foundations, Jeffrey Parsons on data design, Geoffrey Bowker on data in practice, Christine Legner on data governance, and from Rob Kitchin on data use. M. Lynne Markus will provide further reflections. Finally, all authors will engage in a Q&A discussion with the audience. The event is open to everyone interested in data, digital technologies, and organizing across disciplines, career stages, and institutions. No prior familiarity with the book is required.

📅 Date: 1 April 2026
⏰ Time: 10 am ET
📍 Location: Online Zoom Webinar
🔗 Registration: REGISTER HERE

By attending, you will:

  • get a guided overview of the book’s structure, sections, and core intellectual themes;
  • gain a sense of how the handbook can be used as a reference, teaching resource, or foundation for future research;
  • meet and connect with interdisciplinary researchers interested in data;
  • celebrate the growing data studies community and the collective work of the authors behind the volume.

We warmly invite you to join us for the launch of the Research Handbook on Digital Data!